Nielsen Wire has a post up on how children age 2-11 are watching more TV than they have in years with TV viewing at an 8 year high. Kids 2-5 are spending more than 32 hours a week in front of a TV screen (includes DVD, video games, etc)
Within the story was a chart I found more interesting on the percentage of commercials seen in primetime by DVR users by age group. That kids 2-5 aren’t as quick on the fast forward as their older siblings isn’t so surprising, but I was still a bit surprised by the high level of commercial playback on DVRs according to Nielsen:
One more thing younger kids do more than those age 6-11 is watch more commercials. Young kids also watch commercials in playback mode more than older kids and adults, as well as watch their favorite shows over and over and over on DVD, VOD and DVR.
Over four hours a day?! That’s horrifyingly high.
…but the advertisers won’t pay extra for any of that, until it is proven by a Princeton study, paid for by the networks and Nielsen, but completely controlled by the advertisers, and conducted by Dr. Gregory House, that the kiddies are actually watching the ads, and understanding them…
…oh, my Lord – I can see it now – Captain Crunch ads on Melrose Place?! Fisher Price ads on Desperate Housewives?!?
That would be a good House episode, though
Commercials usually have toys or games they’d like. When I was that age, I’d usually figure out what I wanted for Christmas by watching the commercials, for example. These kids are doing the same thing when they see something they like.
Depends on what they’re watching…
…presumably, they’re watching Nick or Disney, but I was watching some of the 8-9 shows with my siblings and mom at 3, so they might be too…
…if all the kindergartners are twirling canes and popping vicodin, we’ll know that they’ve been watching House – look for eTrade baby commercials to take over the ad inventory in that case
I know that as a mom, I DVR much of what my kids watch. (we only have 1 TV downstairs that they watch, so much of what they watch, is with us.) As mom to a 9, 5 and 4 year old, the 2 younger ones tend to lose interest in a DVR’d show or movie when the commercials come on. So we fast forward through those (either myself or their 9 year old brother).
Since neither my 4 or 5 year old know how (or really are allowed) to work the DVR remote, if they happen to be in front of the TV, obviously they’ll see the commercial. (although often, they’ll get up and run around during commercials.)
Although, sometimes when whizzing by the commercials via DVR, the kids have caught a glimpse of something (some toy or game) and asked me to go back so they could see what it was.
They’re so used to watching DVR content, if we ever watch a show “live”, they tell me to “fast forward through the commercials” still.
Anyway, it’s pretty interesting.
A lot of these shows don’t even have commercials. They make money by selling DVDs, toys, etc. My daughter loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse so we tend to buy her books, toys having to do with the show. The only commercials they ever have are for other disney shows or dvds they’re selling.
I’m pretty shocked by the 32 hours per week. We try to limit it to an hour to an hour and a half a day with a couple of no tv days per week.