Most Teens Admit to Using Social Media ‘Almost Constantly,’ Pew Research Shows
BY MOVIEGUIDE® CONTRIBUTOR
The Pew Research Center surveyed U.S. teenagers and revealed that most teens described their social media use as “almost constant.”
The study uncovered how much time they’re spending and gave insight into where they’re spending it. YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram remain American youths’ most widely used online platforms.
“Many teens are on social media daily–if not constantly–but daily use varies by platform. About seven-in-ten U.S. teens say they visit YouTube every day–including 16% who do so almost constantly. TikTok follows with 58% who say they visit it daily, while far fewer report daily use of Facebook,” according to the report.
The survey, conducted Sept. 26-Oct. 23, 2023, pulled from a pool of 1,453 13- to 17-year-olds and covered social media, internet use and device ownership among teens.
“The group found that while use of Snapchat and Instagram has grown since its 2015 report, use of Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) has declined; just 33% of teens said they used Facebook this year, compared to 71% in 2015. Twitter use fell from 33% in 2015 to just 20% this year,” per CNN Business.
YouTube takes the top spot among both boys and girls.
“Approximately 9 out of 10 teens use YouTube, making it their favorite social media platform by far and away. Unlike the other social media sites, a nearly equal percentage of boys (96 percent) and girls (91 percent) watch YouTube,” said Diana E. Graber, M.A.
“While adults largely turn to Google for answers to everything from the impact of a government shutdown to holiday gift ideas, young people want visually entertaining answers to their questions. If they yearn to learn about sharks, for example, they look for videos about the sea creature and enjoy being conveniently served even more videos about their topic of interest.”
These online platforms have a grip on U.S. teenagers, so what can parents do to limit the influence social media has on their children?
Dr. Ted Baehr and Pat Boon’s book
Now more than ever, we need to be purposeful in training and equipping our children for discernment. Your first step is to examine yourself and identify your purpose clearly. In order to do this, examine Scripture, as well as available research, and identify what your goals are. Determine that God has established your position as a parent and that He will provide wisdom and authority as you seek to glorify Him for the sake of His name. He has commanded that children honor their parents in order to live a rewarding life.
Movieguide® previously reported on the pros and cons of young Americans’ social media use:
A new study compiled over ten years of research about the impact of social media to provide a nuanced look at the technology’s impact on the health of young Americans.
The report, conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, found that social media has the potential to cause harm to young users. However, it is not entirely to blame for the epidemic of poor mental health plaguing the country.
“There is much we still don’t know, but our report lays out a clear path forward for both pursuing the biggest unanswered questions about youth health and social media, and taking steps that can minimize the risk of young people using social media now,” said Sandro Galea, chair of the committee behind the report.
“Our recommendations call on social media companies, Congress, federal agencies, and others to make changes that will protect and benefit young people who use social media,” he added.
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