The school bell rang again: back to school!

For children, school is a mix of excitement, curiosity, and fun – from math classes to playing in the schoolyard, arts, sports, and story-like holidays. Here, between homework and free time, the values that will accompany them throughout life are being shaped.

The “Kids Habits Study”, a study performed by Zenith Media Romania, reveals not only children’s media consumption patterns, but also the values, daily rhythms, and emotional experiences that define the new generation.

What kids teach us about balance

Among their favorite school subjects are mathematics, natural sciences, Romanian language and literature, foreign languages, and arts. This is a strong signal for teachers, parents, and all social actors actively contributing to their education: children are seeking a balance between logic and creativity.

Sport is declared both the favorite school activity and the preferred leisure activity for 1 in 3 children. As expected, boys (ages 6–14) are more likely to mention sports, while girls tend to gravitate towards arts (music, visual arts, etc.).

Even though new generations of children are increasingly exposed to digital environments and to the paradigm shaped by artificial intelligence, only 15.4% of kids mention “Technology and Digitalization” as a favorite subject, and just 19% of middle schoolers mention computer science. At the same time, only 1 in 5 children say they prefer spending time online on social networks, which ranks second-to-last in their leisure activity choices – just above afterschool clubs.

In general, children divide their time between homework, play, and friends. They alternate between digital activities and family interactions. Television, mobile phones, and video games are omnipresent, but time spent with parents or siblings also holds an important place in their routine. Naturally, weekends bring more relaxation, movies, and video games.

Thinking about their future

When it comes to their professional future, it is worth noting that both girls and boys believe that getting good grades is important (slightly over 45%). Their role models are the people in their everyday lives (36%), another reason why the adults around them – teachers and parents – carry significant responsibility.

Equally interesting is that, regarding their own gender, many children believe they can pursue any career they want, with middle schoolers showing slightly higher confidence than younger pupils. But when they think about the opposite gender, they cut that success potential almost in half!

From sports to streaming

Although just behind them, holidays are by far the happiest moments in children’s lives, and not only theirs. Many children aged 4–14 go on holiday twice a year, while 1 in 5 enjoys vacations even more often, especially those from urban areas, particularly Bucharest-Ilfov. The most common destinations are beaches/resorts, visiting relatives in other cities, and mountain trips. Nearly 1 in 10 even mention having their own holiday home.

If it were up to them to choose where to spend their vacation, children aged 11–14 would prefer going to the beach, mountains, or a theme park rather than visiting relatives in other towns.

Although sport is mentioned as both a favorite school subject and a leisure activity by 1 in 3 children, they access the internet almost daily, mostly on mobile phones and computers, spending an average of 2–3 hours online during weekdays, with this time increasing over weekends. Beyond mobile phones, computers, tablets, or gaming consoles are used for more than an hour each day. They also stay connected to streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and MAX, even during the school week.

Just as the beginning of the school year brings excitement and curiosity, the conclusion of this snapshot reminds us that education means more than subjects and grades. It is the foundation on which children build values, relationships, and confidence in the future.

And our role, as parents, teachers, or professionals, is to stand by their side and offer them the compass they need to navigate with balance – between logic and creativity, between screens and emotions, between present and future.

Photos @Unsplash, Pexels