Children as media consumers

Finnish children and young people are active users of various media. Their parents also spend a large amount of time with different kinds of media: the average Finn spends 8-9 hours a day dealing with different media. 

The Internet has risen to the centre of media consumption in the 21st century. It is the most important and the most significant medium for young people. Almost every young person spends time browsing the web on a regular basis, and over 90% of young people have access to the internet from home. Over 50% have a computer in their own room. Girls and boys are almost equally active as web users. Out of all children and young people, those under 14 years of age are the most active TV viewers, whereas those over the age of 14 spend more time online than in front of the tube.

Finnish young people spend on average a few hours a week playing video games. Video game sales are rising fast, and a quarter of Finnish homes are equipped with a video game console. 85% of children between the ages of 7 and 9 own a mobile telephone, with older children the percentage approaches 100.

The newspaper as a medium does not hold a similar significance to young people compared to the internet and television, although newspapers are still quite commonly read. Reading habits are inclining more towards browsing online editions of newspapers, but the paper version is still holding its own. The consumption of print media increases with age. Young people spend an average of three hours per week reading magazines and approximately twenty minutes per day reading newspapers.