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POSTED: 3:18 p.m. EST October 29, 2003
In today's wired world, kids use computers at higher rates than adults.
About 90 percent of people ages 5 to 17 use computers, and 59 percent of them use the Internet -- rates that are, in both cases, higher than those of adults.
Even kindergartners are becoming more plugged in: One out of four 5-year-olds uses the Internet.
The figures come from a new Education Department analysis completed in 2001. A second report from the agency, based on 2002 data, shows 99 percent of public schools have Internet access, up from 35 percent eight years ago.
Like adults, young people are going online for a range of reasons. Almost three in four use the Internet for help with school assignments, while more than half use it either for writing e-mail, sending instant messages to friends or playing games.
A separate study released Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that even the youngest children, those under 6 years old, spend about 2 hours a day with "screen media," including computers.
Too Much Time With Electronic Media
Report: Young Kids & 'Screen' Time
Previous Story:
- October 28, 2003: Kids Under 6 Spend Hours With Screens Each Day
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