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Study Reveals that Kids Multitask

A recent NPD Group report yields yet another justification for pairing Rugrats and SUVs across multiple media platforms. Children between the ages of two and 12 spend over a quarter of their free time participating in two or more activities at once.

The report also demonstrates evidence of multitasking beginning as early as two years old, reports eMarketer (via MarketingVox).

Senior analyst Debra Aho Williamson of eMarketer noted, “One of the critical skills children learn as they grow from tweens to teens is how to manage and work with the multiple media inputs that are part of their everyday lives.” She added that the variety of media children encounter has implications for the future of marketing.

The findings of the report, “Kids’ Leisure Time II,” coincides with a larger study on child and teen media behavior conducted by Kaiser in 2004.

A similar survey on tween media consumption by Youth Trends finds that 40 percent of tweens feel internet is better than TV, with more girls than boys sharing the sentiment. Boys, however, are more likely than their female counterparts to forego TV for video games.