When it comes to what Pope Benedict XVI termed “the digital continent,” teens are known for being some of its most fervent explorers. Yet, recent Pew Research data indicates that there is a growing awareness among teenagers that social media has its downsides.
The U.S. Office of the Surgeon General cites data that demonstrates that kids and teens who spend more than three hours daily on social media double their risk of mental health problems, including symptoms of depression and anxiety.
“This is concerning,” the office comments, “as a recent survey showed that teenagers spend an average of 3.5 hours a day on social media."
Parents and professionals expressing concern about the effect of social media may be nothing new, but teenagers voicing their own worries about technology was less common.
Where the teens are
Pope Leo XIV just spoke to online Catholic influencers about the prevalence of the digital sphere in our lives saying, “Today we find ourselves in a new culture, deeply characterized and formed by technology.”
And of course, the young people who are growing up in this new culture are deeply impacted by it.
For those who have teens in their lives, the data about where teens are online isn’t surprising. YouTube was the most frequent answer, with 9 out of 10 teens saying they use it.
YouTube is followed by TikTok (63%), Instagram (61%) and Snapchat (55%). Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) have taken a nose-dive in popularity among teens in the last decade.
Nearly three quarters of teens say that they visit YouTube daily, with 15% saying they are on it “almost constantly.”
But do they think it's good for them?
Today, almost half of teens (48%) say that the effect of social media on teenagers is “mostly negative.”
That’s a dramatic increase from 2022's numbers, which were at 32%. In fact, those in the "mostly negative" crowd are the leading response, with 41% of teens responding that social media has “neither a positive nor negative impact” and a mere 11% answering that social media has a mostly positive impact.
Them, not me
Teens' perception of social media’s impact on their peers, however, differs sharply from how they think social media affects them personally. Only 14% respond that their life is negatively impacted – a similar disparity was seen in the 2022 survey.
This isn’t the only social media statistic that is taking a dip. In 2023, 64% of teens said they spent the right amount of time online. Now, only 49% think so.
In fact, 45% of teens think they spend too much time on social media (as compared to 27% in 2023).
Impact on “real life”
When it comes to how social media affects their lives off screens, teens' responses are mixed.
On the one hand, three-quarters of respondents said social media helps connect them to their friends. Sixty-three percent said that social media gives them a chance to use their creative side. Fifty-two percent say that social media gives them a support system to help them through tough times.
On the other hand, thirty-nine percent are overwhelmed by “all the drama” and thirty-one percent said they feel pressure to post things that will get them "likes."
About a third feel like their friends leave them out of things online.
Forty percent of teens report that social media hurts their productivity and slightly more say it hurts their amount of sleep. One in 5 say that social media hurts their grades and 19% say it impacts their mental health.
Cutting back
A full 44% percent of teens said they had “cut back” their social media use. This is the same percent that says they have cut back use of their smartphone in general.
With the advent of artificial intelligence, teens face new challenges in examining their use of technology. But this research shows a growing awareness of the impact of social media that just may serve them well in the coming years.
