[originaltext] W: Most of us are spending more time with screens than ever be

W: Most of us are spending more time with screens than ever before, from TV and computers, to the smartphones we carry in our pockets. A new report on media use by teens and tweens shows that may be even more true for children. The survey of 2, 600 kids between the ages of 8 and 18 paints a picture of constant connection. Children between 8 and 12 are reported to spend an average of four-and-a-half hours a day using a screen, and nearly six hours consuming media of any kind. Among teenagers, average screen time was about six-and-a-half hours a day and almost nine hours with media overall. Those totals don’t count educational uses in school or for homework. Joining me now to dig into the findings is James Steyer. He is the CEO of Common Sense Media. It’s a nonprofit children’s advocacy and media rating organization that is behind today’s report. Welcome to the NewsHour, James Steyer. So, just remind us. Your organization looks at how young people use media.
   M: That’s right, and how it affects their lives, how it affects them in school. And then we advocate on behalf of kids in schools across the country.
   W: So you did this survey. We said 2, 600 people from 8 to 18.
   M: Right.
   W: What were the main findings?
   M: Well, the sheer volume. I mean, the opening that you just did, Judy, nine hours a day on average is what teenagers spend with media and technology. I mean, think about it. That’s way more than they spend with their parents, with teachers, even more time than they spend sleeping.
   W: Sleeping.
   M: The number one activity in their life now is media and technology.
   W: And what did — and you made a distinction between, again, what the tweens — this is the 8 to 12 years old — are doing vs. teenagers.
   M: Right.
   W: How are they spending that time? What are they doing?
   M: Well, first of all, there is no one archetype. There is no one-size-fits-all kid.
   And so you have kids on social media, watching TV, listening to music, even reading books, remember them, and then doing different forms of media, but the bottom line is the sheer volume of time that kids spend today means that they have a 24/7 reality with media and technology that’s shaping their lives in so many ways.
   W: And you found, I saw, that a lot of what they’re doing is multitasking. They’re listening to music while they are doing their homework or watching videos while they’re doing something else.
   M: Right. And the truth is that they are multitasking against their parents’ advice that you cannot multitask and concentrate on your homework. Two-thirds of the teenagers that were surveyed say that they continue to multitask, meaning they’re on Facebook or Instagram or texting their friends, while they’re doing their homework. They’re supposed to be reading Shakespeare, but they’re texting their friends.
   This is the end of Conversation Two. Questions 6 to 10 are based on Conversation Two. Question 6
   What is this interview mainly about?
   (pause: 10 seconds)
   Question 7
   How long do teenagers use a screen every day?
   (pause: 10 seconds)
   Question 8
   What is Common Sense Media?
   (pause: 10 seconds)
   Question 9
   According to the man, what is the number one activity in children’s life now?
   (pause: 10 seconds)
   Question 10
   What does the woman mean by multitasking?
   (pause: 10 seconds)