As smart speakers become more common household appliances, they can add to the amount of time kids spend with digital technology. In an odd twist, though, some parents see speaker usage as a benign alternative to a screen and hope that the former will displace some of the latter. Indeed, that’s one of the reasons why some parents buy smart speakers, according to June 2018 polling by National Public Radio and Edison Research.
Among parents who have owned smart speakers for a year or more, 24% said they bought them in part to reduce kids’ screen time. Among respondents who have owned the device for less than a year, 43% said the same. If they do have access, kids use smart speakers for multiple purposes. Often it’s simply for fun, as with the 55% whose parents say they use the speakers to play music. But speakers can have practical utility, as with the 25% of kids who use them for help with homework.
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