Teenagers are using social media excessively : Pew Research Center

Washington DC (USA) – A study conducted by the Pew Research Center has shown that teenagers are excessively using social media. This is happening despite being aware of the ill effects of social media.

A Pew Research Center study of 1,453 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 found that approximately 93% of teens use YouTube. 63% of teenagers use TikTok, 60% use Snapchat, and 59% use Instagram. 71% of children used Facebook in 2014-15. This number has declined to 33% in 2023. Girls are more active on TikTok and Snapchat than boys. Other media are used equally by both.

Apart from the use of social media, the amount of time teenagers spend online was also surveyed. Half of the teenagers said they use the internet for 9 hours a day. This is twice as compared to the survey results in 2014-15.

The use of digital devices has also increased. 95% of teenagers use smartphones, 90% use laptops or computers, 83% use gaming consoles, and 65% use tablets.

Editorial Perspective

Even though such extensive use of social media should not be surprising, but the question arises – who will teach these children how much social media is necessary for a living, what are its side effects etc. It would be also important to divert their attention from such social media.