Study title

Children's Media Barometer 2012

Dataset ID Number

FSD3070

Persistent identifier

urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3070

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Suoninen, Annikka (Finnish Youth Research Society. Finnish Youth Research Network)

Abstract

The barometer was collected as part of a research project funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Finland and it aimed to investigate children's media use and their relationship with the media in the year 2012. In the survey, media include television, the Internet, digital games, mobile phone, the radio and music, and print media. The target population of the survey were pupils on the fourth and sixth grades. The questionnaire for sixth graders was somewhat longer and more detailed than the one for fourth graders.

First, media devices in the respondents' home were charted as well as the frequency of watching television, videos or other recorded programmes and the types of programmes and videos watched. With regard to digital games (video games, including mobile games), the respondents were asked how often they played, who they played with, what kind of games they played, and what their favourite game was. Internet use was examined with questions about the frequency of use, activities and favourite type of content online (e.g. video clips, social media, email), favourite website, whether the respondents had an email address, social media profile, website or blog as well as what their opinions on some statements about Internet use were (e.g. "I think I'm a skilled Internet user", "My parents know what I do on the Internet").

Reading habits were investigated with questions about the frequency and types of books and magazines read. Frequency of listening to radio programmes and music was surveyed. The respondents were asked whether they owned a mobile phone, whether it had an Internet connection, and what they used the mobile phone for.

Finally, the respondents were asked questions charting the use of all media, such as how often they browsed advertisements for products or spent money online, how interested they thought parents or other adults at home were in hearing about their favourite media content, which media they talked about and used together with parents, and whether they had published their own content online. Sixth graders were further asked whether they had used media to have a say in an issue, how critical they were towards different media (e.g. "Reality TV shows do not have a script and they show things as they really happen"), whether there were discussions or arguments about media use or media content at home, and whether they had followed the previous presidential elections on different media and discussed the elections with different people.

Background variables included the respondent's grade level, gender, age, and major region of residence as well as whether they had a room of their own at home.

Keywords

children; digital games; internet; internet use; mass media exposure; mass media use; media literacy; mobile communication; news; reading (activity); television

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Information society (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Children (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Youth (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Time use (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Children's Media Barometers

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (A) openly available for all users without registration (CC BY 4.0).

Data Collector

• Suoninen, Annikka (Finnish Youth Research Society. Finnish Youth Research Network)
• Hirvonen, Hanna
• Enbacka, Heidi
• Komulainen, Terhi

Data Producers

• Finnish Youth Research Society. Finnish Youth Research Network

Time Period Covered

2012

Collection Dates

2012-04 – 2012-05

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Finnish-speaking fourth and sixth graders in schools in mainland Finland

Time Method

Cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Mixed probability and non-probability

To obtain the sample, mainland Finland was divided into six sampling areas, which corresponded to the geographical distribution of age groups. From each sampling area, schools were purposively selected based on the population aged 10 and 12. Efforts were made to include schools from the neighbourhoods of, for instance, larger towns where the socioeconomic status of the population varies. In each school selected for the sample, the survey was targeted at one class of the fourth grade and one class of the sixth. Schools in the sample were selected from municipalities of varying sizes and economic structures. When it came to larger towns, attention was paid to the population structures of different parts of town.

Pupils filled in questionnaires during a school day instructed by a member of the research group. Consent for participation in the study had been acquired from the parents of the children. A total of 988 pupils from 29 different schools around Finland responded to the survey. Out of the respondents, 489 were fourth graders and 499 were sixth graders.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Paper

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Finnish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

2.0

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

Variables in the data are numbered according to questionnaire 1, which is the questionnaire aimed at sixth graders. The data description is based on the information available in the report of the study.

Empty variables K40B10_1, K40F10_1 and K47_F_1 were removed from the data during archiving. In addition, variable K03_B_1 was removed from the data for privacy reasons.

Weighting

There is a weight variable (paino) in the data, which weights the data to correspond to the regional distribution of population aged 10-12 as well as gender distribution within sampling areas.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Suoninen, Annikka (Finnish Youth Research Society): Children's Media Barometer 2012 [dataset]. Version 2.0 (2018-08-21). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3070

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Materials

Suoninen, Annikka (2013). Lasten mediabarometri 2012.10-12-vuotiaiden tyttöjen ja poikien mediankäyttö [verkkodokumentti]. Helsinki: Nuorisotutkimusverkosto/Nuorisotutkimusseura. Verkkojulkaisuja 62. http://www.nuorisotutkimusseura.fi/julkaisuja/lastenmediabarometri2012.pdf [viitattu 11.11.2015].

Related Publications

Suoninen, Annikka (2013). Lasten mediabarometri 2012.10-12-vuotiaiden tyttöjen ja poikien mediankäyttö [verkkodokumentti]. Helsinki: Nuorisotutkimusverkosto/Nuorisotutkimusseura. Verkkojulkaisuja 62. http://www.nuorisotutkimusseura.fi/julkaisuja/lastenmediabarometri2012.pdf [viitattu 11.11.2015].