Teenagers are more digitally connected than ever today, research shows nearly half of them say they’re online almost constantly. This only adds to growing concerns about social media use and how it affects teens’ mental health, but how are teens really doing in this “always on” environment? A new Pew Research Center survey digs in to find out.
They surveyed 1,453 people, both teens and parents, about screen time-related topics and found:
- Nearly all (95%) kids between the ages of 13 and 17 have or have access to a smartphone and most of them use the Internet every day.
- Surprisingly, 72% of them say they feel peaceful when they don’t have their phones and 74% feel happy without their phones.
- But some of them report negative feelings when they’re separated from their phones, including 44% who say it makes them feel anxious, 40% who say it makes them upset and 30% feel lonely without their phones.
- Over two-thirds (69%) of teens say smartphones make it easier to pursue hobbies and interests, and 45% say the devices make it easier for them to do well in school, but only 30% say it helps those their age learn good social skills.
- Half of parents confess they’ve looked through their teen’s phone, and 43% of teens believe their parents have looked through their phone before.
- About four in 10 parents and teens admit they regularly argue with each other about time spent on their phone.
- Close to half (46%) of teens say their parent is sometimes distracted by their phone when they’re trying to talk to them.
- When it comes to screen time limits, there’s nearly an even split between parents who restrict their teen’s time on their phone and those who don’t. Almost half (47%) do limit the time their teen is allowed to be on their phone, while 48% don’t.
Source: Pew Research