lnf.cymru stimulus sheet · IT · Year 10

“Screen time explodes!” A post and the data behind it

Ysgol Bro Wyddel, the Bro Wyddel Parents Online page and every figure on this sheet are invented practice data. Do not use these figures as facts about real pupils.

1. The social media post

Bro Wyddel Parents Online · posted at 21:47

SCREEN TIME EXPLODES!!

Look at this chart from the school’s own survey. Year 11s spend EIGHT TIMES as long on screens as Year 7s! Something must be done before it is too late!! Share if you agree.

2. What the school survey actually found

Ysgol Bro Wyddel asked every pupil to keep a screen time diary for one school week. The table shows the mean (average) hours per day for each year group. Screen time includes phones, tablets, computers, games consoles and TV, for any reason, including homework.

Year group	Year 7	Year 8	Year 9	Year 10	Year 11
Pupils who took part	142	138	131	120	109
Mean hours per day	3.4	3.6	3.7	3.9	4.1

3. Year 10: main screen activity

The 120 Year 10 pupils were also asked: “What do you spend most of your screen time doing?” Each pupil chose one answer.

Main activity	Number of pupils
Watching videos	42
Social media	36
Gaming	24
Messaging	12
Homework and learning	6
Total	120

4. Key words

Axis: the scale along the side or bottom of a chart.
Truncated axis: an axis that does not start at 0, which can make small differences look big.
Pie chart: a circle split into sectors. The whole circle, 360°, stands for the whole group.
Sector angle = number in the group ÷ total × 360°.