Last month, we shared recent research findings that young children spend more time with internet devices than ever before.
The same nonprofit research organization, Common Sense, also examined teen media use in 2018. They wanted to better understand social media use and the role it plays in the social and educational aspects of teens’ lives.
Researchers surveyed 1,141 13- to 17-year olds and found some interesting findings. Today, 89% of teens from the survey have their own smartphones. Seventy percent of teens surveyed use social media more than once a day—16% use it almost constantly and 22% use it for several hours per day.
Many teens feel that social media has a positive impact on their lives. They said it makes them feel more popular (21%) and confident (20%), while feeling less anxious (12%), depressed (16%), and lonely (25%).
However, these findings were different for those who scored low on measures of social-emotional well-being. While social media is often very important to this group, it also can have negative effects. This group reported that they were more likely to feel bad about themselves when no one interacted with their posts or would feel left out if they saw their friends doing something without them.
However, when asked directly, these teens were more likely to say that social media had a positive effect on them. According to researchers, “There has been no increase in the proportion of these more vulnerable youth who say they feel negative effects from their social media use; but there has been an increase in the proportion who report a positive effect.” This finding shows the difference between teens’ perceptions of social media, and how their use of it might truly impact them.
Another alarming finding was this—only 32% of teens in this study said that their favorite form of communication with friends was in person. Texting, perhaps unsurprisingly, has become the #1 preferred method of interaction. Today, 35% of teens reported texting as their favorite method of communication, while 16% prefer social media and 10% turn to video chatting.
When it comes to social media as a distraction, 57% of teens from the survey reported that it distracts them during homework time. Fifty-four percent say it distracts them when they should be paying attention to the people they’re with, while 29% say their phones have woken them up in the middle of the night. Additionally, 42% say social media has reduced the amount of time they could be spending with their friends in person.
Take these findings and consider how you can structure your school to best help teens navigate the world of social media. You might want to help teachers and staff become educated in the latest social media trends so they can talk to students and provide advice as needed. This gives teens an outlet to discuss their concerns with adults who understand how they’re spending their time.
It’s probably no surprise that teens are using social media to communicate with their classmates and share their lives. However, as it continues to grow into an integral part of students’ lives, it’s important to understand it so you can give students the best support possible.
Additional ISM Resources:
The Source for School Heads Vol. 17 No. 2 Media Use Among Young Children Continues to Rise
The Source for Private School News Vol. 17 No. 6 How Schools Can Prepare Students for the STEM Workforce
Additional ISM resources for Gold members:
I&P Vol. 43 No. 10 Student Engagement’s Impact on Stress and Well-Being—What Your School Must Know and Do
I&P Vol. 36 No. 3 Addressing Bullying and Sexual Misconduct
