85 pc Indian parents worry about kids spending excessive screen time during summer vacations: Survey

Summer vacations mean a break from school, travelling and extra playtime for children. However, as per the latest survey, around 85 per cent of parents are concerned about their children spending excessive screen time during summer vacations.

With plenty of spare time in hand during holidays, 85 per cent of surveyed parents from different cities in India are worried about kids spending excessive screen time during the break.

According to a survey commissioned by Kantar for Amazon's Alexa in March 2023 among over 750 parents with young kids (3 - 8 years) across 10 metro and non-metro cities of India, almost 96 per cent of parents are searching for screen-free ideas to keep their kids engaged with learning and fun activities. The survey was conducted among over 750 parents with young kids (3 - 8 years) across 10 metro and non-metro cities of India.

Kantar is the world's leading evidence-based insights and consulting company, said the official statement. The survey indicates that 82 per cent of parents are worried about keeping their kids engaged this summer. Some of the top concerns of parents include 'help kids learn while having fun (41 per cent per cent)', 'keep pace with their curiosity to learn new things (37 per cent)', and 'manage boredom amongst kids in creative ways (30 per cent)'.

More than 90 per cent of parents surveyed believe kids become less active when spending more time on screen devices. The majority felt that ideal screen time should be less than 2 hours however, 69 per cent confirmed that their kids are spending more than 3 hours with screens every day.

"Kids are curious to learn new things and want to have fun in the process. With more free time at hand during summer vacations, parents have a big task ahead of themselves to keep their kids engaged," said Deepender Rana, Executive Managing Director, Insights Division, Kantar.

"Our survey indicates that parents are keen to limit screen time of kids with screen-free activities that can help them learn new skills and have fun at the same time," he added.

According to the findings of the survey, to help kids make the most of their summer vacation, parents want them to pick up skills such as English speaking (50 per cent); good morals and social manners (45 per cent); performing arts like dancing, singing and playing musical instruments (36 per cent); arts and crafts (32 per cent); and physical and outdoor activities (32 per cent). Moreover, as parents look to limit the usage of screen devices amongst kids, 66 per cent showed interest in buying a voice-controlled smart speaker that can nurture skills like curiosity, concentration and communication.

A subset of the survey participants were users of Alexa smart speakers. More than 95 per cent have indicated that using Alexa at home has helped reduce screen time for their kids and has become a true companion. With numerous interactive games, music, trivia, and educational features, Alexa helps keep kids engaged, improve communication skills, and satiate their curiosity to learn new things. Some of the popular requests to Alexa by parents are "Alexa, what is the spelling of dinosaurs", "Alexa, why is the sky blue?", "Alexa, open Wild Planet", "Alexa, tell me a bedtime story", and more.

"Parents with young kids have been ardent users of Alexa. From nursery rhymes, interactive games, stories of Akbar and Birbal, to questions about history, science, general knowledge, and definitions of words - Alexa is a great resource of fun and learning. No surprises when we see kids' songs like Twinkle Twinkle, Chandaniya, and Baby Shark rule the list of top five most requested music to Alexa," said Parag Gupta, Director and Country Manager for Amazon Devices India.