Children's Media Lives
A research project which follows 18 children, aged 8-18, over consecutive years, interviewing them on camera each year about their media habits and attitudes.
The study provides evidence about the motivations and the context of media use, and how media are part of daily life and domestic circumstances. It also provides rich detail on how media habits and attitudes change over time, particularly in relation to children's emotional and cognitive development.
Children’s Media Lives: Year 7 – 28 April 2021
This document provides analysis of the findings from the seventh year of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives study. This research began in 2014 as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
Children’s Media Lives: Year 7 findings – 28 April 2021 (PDF, 4.0 MB)
- Annex 1: CML Year 7 Discussion Guides (PDF, 324.8 KB)
- Annex 2: CML Year 7 Diary Task Instructions (PDF, 3.6 MB)
- Annex 3: CML Year 7 Data Capture and Stimulus (PDF, 1.5 MB)
- Annex 4: CML Year 7 Information Sheet (PDF, 267.8 KB)
- Annex 5: Revealing Reality Ethics & Safeguarding policy 2021 (PDF, 196.9 KB)
This report provides analysis of the findings of a Covid-19 specific wave of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives study. The research began in 2014 as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
Children's Media Lives: Life in Lockdown report (PDF, 1.3 MB)
This document provides analysis of the findings from the sixth year of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives study. This research began in 2014 as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
Children's Media Lives: Year 6 findings (PDF, 2.1 MB)
Annex 1: Revealing Reality Ethics and Safeguarding Policy (PDF, 213.4 KB)
Annex 2: Topic guide (PDF, 502.6 KB)
Annex 3: Data capture and stimulus (PDF, 3.8 MB)
Annex 4: Sample specification and screener (PDF, 145.4 KB)
This document provides analysis of the findings from the fifth year of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives study. This research began in 2014 as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
Children's Media Lives: Year 5 findings (PDF, 2.7 MB)
Annex 1 - Discussion Guide (PDF, 664.3 KB)
Annex 2 - Full Data Capture and Stimulus testing (PDF, 2.3 MB)
Annex 3 - Revealing Reality Ethics and Safeguarding Policy (PDF, 202.9 KB)
Annex 4 - Sample Specification (PDF, 222.8 KB)
This document provides analysis of the findings from the fourth year of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives study. This research began in 2014 as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
Children's Media Lives: Year 4 findings (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Annex 1 - Data Collection Guide (PDF, 416.4 KB)
Annex 2 - Full Data Capture (PDF, 2.6 MB)
Annex 3 - Revealing Reality Values and Ethical Policy 2017 (PDF, 209.4 KB)
Annex 4 - Sample Specification (PDF, 222.8 KB)
This document provides analysis of the findings from the third year of Ofcom’s Children’s Media Lives study. This research began in 2014 as a way of providing a small-scale, rich and detailed qualitative complement to Ofcom’s quantitative surveys of media literacy.
Children's Media Lives: Year 3 findings (PDF, 856.9 KB)
Annex 1 - Data Collection Guide (PDF, 650.9 KB)
Annex 2 - Full data capture (PDF, 1.9 MB)
Annex 3 - ESRO Values and Ethical Policy 2016 (PDF, 246.1 KB)
Annex 4 - Sample Specification (PDF, 242.4 KB)
This document provides analysis of the findings from the second year of Ofcom's Children's Media Lives study.
Children's Media Lives: Year 2 findings (PDF, 523.0 KB)
Annex 1 - ESRO Data Collection Guide (PDF, 540.9 KB)
Annex 2 - Recruitment & Sample (PDF, 236.9 KB)
Annex 3 - ESRO Stimulus (PDF, 2.3 MB)
Annex 4 - Favourite content stimulus (PDF, 1.9 MB)
Annex 5 - Conducting Research with Children (PDF, 159.2 KB)
Children’s Media Lives: Year 1 findings (PDF, 955.7 KB)
Annex 1 Topic guide (PDF, 308.0 KB)
Annex 2 Sample specification (PDF, 204.1 KB)
Annex 3 Advertising stimulus (PDF, 684.9 KB)
Annex 4 How does it work stimulus (PDF, 117.0 KB)
Annex 5 Privacy stimulus (PDF, 298.4 KB)
Annex 6 Website stimulus (PDF, 1.7 MB)
Annex 7 Online Behaviours stimulus (PDF, 114.9 KB)
Annex 8 Pre-task (PDF, 81.6 KB)
Annex 9 ESRO Safeguarding policy (PDF, 159.2 KB)