Most teenagers prefer to send SMS instead of talking to you IRL – BGR



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What should absolutely surprise anyone, a new survey of 1,141 teenagers, the results of which are released today, shows that the number of teens who prefer to speak in person is predictable in favor of texting.

In addition, the little pace that Facebook held among teenagers has almost completely evaporated. This year's Social Media and Social Life survey of Common Sense Media shows that only 15% of teens use Facebook as their main application on social media, up from 70% in 2012. (The winners this year are of course Snapchat and Instagram, with respectively 41% and 22% popularity among adolescents.)

The report notes the response of a 16-year-old girl who was asked in a discussion group who she talks to on Facebook. His answer? "My grandparents."

Findings like this, like Fortune notes, will be "pretty intuitive for anyone who has seen the evolution of Facebook from a campus network only to the field of sixties – or the intensity with which teenagers' texts. But the survey gives more surprising results on the impact of social media on adolescents' mental health and self-perception – or at least on the impact they have had on them. say he has. Indeed, most teenagers seem to think that social media has improved their social life and well-being. But there are reasons to worry.

In this direction:

Thirty-five percent of teens report being victims of cyberbullying, compared to 5% in 2012. Many teens also admit to having almost the impression of being prisoners of their devices, with 55% saying "almost never" storing when you go out with friends. Yet social media distracts them when they are with other people.

The vast majority of teens surveyed (72%) think that technology companies manipulate people so that they spend more time with their devices. Just under half of teenagers say they suppress messages that receive too few "likes" or commitments.

On the contrary, this research highlights the inherent contradictions of social media, to the extent that it can help and harm its users.

"The complexity of the role of social media in young people's lives can frustrate those looking for easy answers or simplistic solutions," the report notes. "But this investigation was very clear in this reality. According to the teens themselves, the use of social media strengthens their relationships with their friends and family while hindering face-to-face communication.

"Social media allows teens to feel less alone and connected, while teens sometimes feel excluded and" less than "than their peers. Social media helps reduce depression in teens by connecting them to support and inspiration, and also contributes to depression for those who find themselves trapped in a loop of isolation and self-sacrifice. As noted earlier, this study can not say for sure whether social media is harming or improving the well-being of adolescents, but it certainly indicates areas in which researchers can and should do extra work.

Image source: Images / Top / REX / Shutterstock

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