Fewer children are watching traditional children’s television, such as Saturday morning cartoons, writes Rob Toledo in Exstreamist. “More kids than ever are using streaming services like Netflix for their entertainment, with a ‘for kids’ section, and zero commercials.” So what does this mean for the advertising industry?
Children in “Netflix-only” homes are spared 230 hours of commercials a year compared to traditional viewership homes.
According to the National Institute of Health, children average 2.68 hours of television a day.
In homes with more technology devices like tablets and kid-accessible computers, screen time jumps by approximately one hour per day. Currently, the average hour of television contains 14.25 minutes of commercials, or about 24% of airtime. Networks are even speeding up shows to cram more commercials into each episode.
Services such as Netflix, Amazon Video and Hulu make it easier for parents to shield children from commercials, writes Toledo.
My brother’s family has been visiting for the holidays. The kids — six and nine years old — haven’t turned on the TV. They’ve spent a lot of time playing games on their devices. Their mother asked for gifts that require getting up and moving around.
Mike Petrilli has advice on what to watch with your kids during winter break. His kids enjoy Geography Now!, Walking with Dinosaurs, Liberty’s Kids and PBS’ Wild Kratts.