A presentation of PhD. Annikka Suoninen in My Media Playground seminar 15th Feb 2013 in Tampere, Finland

1. Supermodels and
G.I. Joes
go digital.
Gender differences in children’s
media use
Annikka Suoninen, Ph.D.
Finnish Youth Research Network
Research Centre for Contemporary Culture
(University of Jyväskylä)

2. Children’s Media Barometer
Funded by the Ministry of Education and
Culture
Done yearly since 2010: basis is a
national survey, age group studied and
focus of the study changes yearly
In 2012 focus was in 10 to 12-year-olds
and gender differences in media use
Survey: 988 participants in 29 schools
28 (group) interviews with 86 children

3. Non-gendered media uses…
Audio-visual programmes (e.g.
television): 90 % uses weekly, 80 %
almost daily, 50 % at least once a day
Music (e.g. radio and recordings): 90 %
uses weekly, 75 % almost daily, 50 % at
least once a day
Internet: 90 % uses weekly, 72 % almost
daily, 39 % at least once a day

4. … but
Boys Girls
animations, Soap operas,
entertainment entertainment
shows, action shows television
Rap, electric music Pop, r&b
Video sharing Social networking
sites, gaming sites sites

5. Gendered Uses: Reading
Boys: comics
Girls: books and magazines
6th graders: newspapers

6. Gendered Uses: Digital Games
Boys: 90 % weekly, 2/3 almost every
day, 1/3 at least once a day
Girls: 2/3 weekly, 42 % almost every day,
17 % at least once a day
Boys: action games, sports games,
driving games
Girls: platform games, simulation games,
family games
Boys: committed playing
Girls: casual or social playing

7. Gendered Uses: Social networking
sites
Girls start younger and visit more regularly
Younger girls: GoSuperModel,
MovieStarPlanet, Howrse, Panfu… (social
networking and gaming)
6th graders: Facebook
Girls: personal communication, chats,
messages
Boys: general information, not very personal
private profiles (girls) vs. public profiles
(boys)

8. Gendered Mediation
More rules and restrictions for girls
(especially younger girls): both time
spend and contents used
Mainly only rules and restrictions about
time for boys (not about content)
More rules and mediation about Internet
and its risks for girls (whom to
communicate with, what information to
give about herself, not meeting strangers)
Not that much mediation for boys (”don’t
use bad language”)