In the archive Audience trends Children’s average daily discretionary time and participation rate by selected activity, 2007 In 2007, over 1,000 children were surveyed between 6 am to 2 am over three days. Their activities during this 20-hour period were divided into non-discretionary (i.e. compulsory activities like sleep and time in the school classroom) and discretionary time. In addition, children recorded simultaneous activities. During their discretionary time, the split between all media and non-media activities was 49 per cent and 51 per cent respectively. Of the selected activities included in the table below, watching free-to-air television accounted for the largest amount of time spent on average per day as well as the largest participation rate. Time spent per day (average hours)1 Participation2 General (non-media) activities Hanging out, veging out 0:51 76% Reading, drawing, writing letters 0:33 65% Physical activity 0:59 79% Going out 0:44 60% General play 0:52 68% Other non-media activities 0:31 54% Homework Homework on computer/internet 0:13 36% Homework not on computer/internet 0:22 56% Media activities TV and DVD Watching free-to-air TV 1:27 88% Watching subscription TV 0:27 30% Watching DVDs 0:24 45% Computer/console gaming Online against other players 0:15 23% Other gaming 0:24 43% Internet Emailing 0:05 21% Messaging/chatting 0:18 29% Watching/listening to music/video content 0:07 18% Social websites, blogs etc 0:11 22% Mobile phone Talking 0:05 23% Messaging (text/image/video) 0:12 26% TV shows/internet 0:01 4% Music and radio Recorded music (CD, MP3 etc) 0:22 40% Radio 0:13 28% Source: Compiled by Screen Australia using data published by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in Media and Communications in Australian Families, 2007. Notes: Based on a sample of 751 households with children aged 8-17. In total 1,003 children were surveyed. 1. Discretionary time between 6 am and 2 am, includes time spent undertaking simultaneous activities. 2. Participation over three-day survey period.