Trends & Truth, January 2012 by Mike Nappa
One of our new monthly features will be Trends & Truth by Mike Nappa. Here's the first installment. Enjoy!
"Test everything. Hold on to the good."
―1 Thessalonians 5:21
Welcome to “Trends & Truth Online”―exploring pop culture from a parent’s perspective. In this month’s blog we tackle a few questions from parents.
Q: Dear T&T―I keep hearing that the digital revolution is taking over. What does that mean for my kids?
A: The short answer is this: Whereas digital movies, books, TV shows, music and games are relatively new to you, for your children they’re all just a normal part of life.
Today, entertainment media is ever-present on computers, cell phones, e-readers, and video game consoles. That means your children are growing up in a world where everything they want is available digitally―and they’re going online to get it. In fact:
- Among kids aged 2 to 14, digital downloads account for 21 cents of every dollar spent on entertainment.
- About 50% of American children have downloaded their first digital content by age 7.
- Over half of American kids ages 2 to 14 use Netflix and Hulu Plus subscription services to download TV shows and movies.
“Instant gratification afforded by downloading content is alluring to [kids],” says Anita Frazier, an analyst with the NPD Group. And the massive scope and availability of digital content in a “broadband home” makes downloading entertainment something that’s very “normal” for children today―your kids included.
Q: Hey T&T―I love to share funny YouTube videos with my family, but it’s a pain for us all to gather around my laptop for viewing. Any suggestions?
A. Probably the easiest way for your whole family to watch the latest dancing cat video is through your family’s gaming console. By connecting to the Internet via your Sony Playstation 3 or Microsoft Xbox 360, you can easily view YouTube chuckles on your big-screen TV. In fact, according to recent reports, Playstation and Xbox are the #1 “devices that U.S. consumers use to watch online video content on the television.”
So, commandeer the console, and enjoy!
Have a pop culture question for Trends & Truth? Email it to parentlife@lifeway.com!
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Mike Nappa is a bestselling author, a noted commentator on pop culture, and founder of the website for parents, FamilyFans.com.
Photo used with permission of Flickr Creative Commons. Click on photo for source.
