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The online habits of teens seem to be a prime target for researchers, and we now have a new study that gives us a better idea of what smartphones have in their lives. The report was produced by Common Sense Media and is based on responses from 1,413 participants aged 13 to 17 from all regions of the United States.
Not surprisingly, the number of teenagers with smartphones has risen sharply in recent years, while in 2012, only 41% had one, this number now stands at 89%. Naturally, the rise of social media within the group under review is from 34% to 70% in the last six years. This has resulted in a major change in the way teens prefer to communicate. While in the good old days of 2012, the preferred medium of communication was in person, in 2018 it was replaced by sending SMS. With better phones and faster Internet connections, video chat is now the preferred way to connect 10% of young people.
This survey is in line with the previous ones, which showed that teenagers were aware that they spent too much time on their phones. More than half of them agree that it distracts them when they should do their homework or pay attention to the people around them. 42% realize that social media allows them to spend time with their friends.
Interestingly, teens blame companies that exploit websites and social media applications for their excessive use. 72% of them think that technology companies are manipulating their users to make them spend more time online. What participants perceive as manipulation is unclear, companies often offer more features in their applications to keep users longer.
When they have the opportunity to assess for themselves the impact of social media on their lives, teenagers mostly see a positive one. A quarter of respondents said that social media allowed them to feel less alone, 16% said it made them less depressed, while one in five think social media makes them more confident and more popular.
This is not all good, of course, succeeding in social media is important for teens and when that is not the case, there are negative consequences. 43% of participants reported having deleted an article on social media because he received too few "likes". The same number represents the number of teens who feel bad if no one likes or comments their message.
Overall, the social media experience appears to be a good digital equivalent of the teenagers' school environment. Being loved and popular gives you an emotional boost, while being a stranger can cause distress.
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