Teenagers choose texting instead of talking with friends in person, study finds

Teens are being sucked even further into the digital world.

Teenagers are more likely to send SMS messages to their friends than to speak in person, according to a study published Monday by Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization specializing in technology and media education. When asked to choose their preferred method of communication, 35% of teenagers chose texting, followed by 32% who said that in-person communication was preferable. The results show a change in preference since the last Common Sense report in 2012, where 49% of teenagers preferred to speak in person and 33% preferred to send SMS.

Teens are also spending more and more time on social media platforms. Seventy percent of teens use social media several times a day, up from 34% in 2012. Snapchat is the leading social media site for 41% of teens. Instagram comes second with 22%. The study found that Facebook has become less popular, with only 15% of teenagers choosing it as the main platform, compared with 68% in the previous study. A teenage girl in a focus group for the study said that Facebook is for communicating "with my grandparents".

A June study from the Pew Research Center also indicated that teens are abandoning Facebook for other social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube.

In addition, 72% of teens think that some technology companies are manipulating them to spend more time on their devices.

The study comes as social media companies find themselves increasingly monitored for spreading misinformation. Last week, Twitter and Facebook leaders appeared before Congress to answer questions about Russian influence campaigns and misinformation on their platforms.

Other key results include:

• 57% of teens agree that social media distracts them from homework and in-person conversations.
• 64% of teens on social networks have encountered racist, sexist, homophobic or religious content online.
• 13% reported having been cyber-bullying and 23% reported attempting to help someone who was a victim of cyberbullying.
• 25% of teens reported feeling less alone because of social media and 16% reported feeling less depressed by social media.

This study was based on the responses of 1,141 adolescents aged 13 to 17 years. The survey was conducted from March 22 to April 10 in the United States.