 Laptops are being used at school and at home |
Almost half of secondary school pupils in the UK have their own individual PC or laptop at home, says a survey of technology use among young people. The use of the internet is pervasive, with 77% of 11 to 16-year-olds reporting they are online every day.
This snapshot of the gadget-life of youngsters also shows the popularity of social networking websites - used by 60% of this age group.
The survey was based on a sample of more than 1,500 youngsters.
The School Gate Survey, commissioned by educational technology firm RM, shows the extent to which computers have become embedded in the home lives of secondary-school pupils.
Homework
In this age group, 93% of young people reported using a computer to help with their homework.
More than three quarters expressed a preference for using a laptop or PC for homework, rather than a pen and paper.
The technology regularly used by teenagers also includes videogames (66%), music player (65%) and mobile phone (69%).
The UK government has invested heavily in technology in schools - but this survey highlights the role of computers in children's home lives.
But spending too much time in front of screens, rather than reading books for fun, has been blamed for a decline in reading standards.
A recent international comparison of children's attainment in reading, in which England's ranking had slipped downwards, pointed to the amount of time youngsters in this country spend playing on computers.
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