MELBOURNE, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Younger siblings spend more time on screens and less on educational activities than their older brothers and sisters, new Australian research has found.
A study by Monash Business School's Center for Health Economics found that when compared to firstborn children, second and third born children spend an extra nine and 14 minutes, respectively, per day having screen time, and less time on enrichment activities, said a statement from Australia's Monash University on Thursday.
"While this may sound modest, it represents a 7-10 percent increase compared to the average daily screen time of firstborns," said Danusha Jayawardana, a research fellow at the center.
Over a week, this adds up to roughly one and 1.5 extra hours of screen use, she said.
"This extra screen time also comes at the cost of other activities. In particular, later-born children spend 11 to 18 minutes less per day on enrichment activities, an 11-20 percent reduction compared to older siblings," Jayawardana said, adding that enrichment activities include reading, homework, playing board games or learning a musical instrument.
The study drew on survey data from about 5,500 Australian children aged two to 15, and included 24-hour diaries showing how children spent their time from waking to bedtime, and whether activities were done with parents or alone.
The findings suggest that parental time and attention to foster subsequent children's development decline as families grow, and that later-born children experience more lenient parenting, including rules around screen use.
The researchers recommended parents spend quality time with younger siblings, actively encourage enrichment activities, and maintain consistent rules around screen time across children to support healthy development. ■