US Teenagers Living on the Digital Edge

A new study reveals that a staggering 50% of US teenagers are nearly constantly active on social platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. This raises significant concerns about the potential impact of excessive screen time on young people's well-being. Overall, 73 percent of teenagers said they watch YouTube daily, making it the most widely used and visited platform. This share includes 15 percent who describe their use as “almost constant.”

Internet Addiction

Excessive internet use can lead to internet addiction, () characterized by an overwhelming urge to be constantly online. This can result in neglecting real-life responsibilities, strained relationships, and a decline in mental and physical health. It's crucial to maintain a healthy balance between online and offline activities to prevent the negative consequences of internet addiction. “Nearly half of teenagers say they are online almost constantly, up from 24 percent a decade ago. This share has stayed consistent over the past few years. Overall, nearly all teenagers – 96 percent – report using the internet daily,” the report said.

The alarming report comes even as the Australian government, last month, passed a social media ban for children under 16. The ban will apply to Instagram, X, Snapchat, and others from late 2025. Meanwhile, Pew research showed that about 6-in-10 teenagers in the US reported using TikTok and Instagram, and 55 percent said they use Snapchat. About six-in-10 also reported visiting TikTok daily. This includes 16 percent who report being on it almost constantly. Roughly half of teenagers said they go on Instagram or Snapchat daily. This includes about one-in-10 who say they’re on each of these platforms almost constantly.

The use of Facebook (32 percent) and X (17 percent) has steeply declined over the past decade among teenagers. Further, about a quarter of teenagers (23 percent) said they use WhatsApp, while 14 percent reported using Reddit.

Across all five platforms, one-third of teens use at least one of these sites almost constantly. Notably, “no gender differences” were observed in the shares of teenagers who reported using Instagram and Facebook almost constantly. Yet, teenage girls use Instagram (66 percent vs. 56 percent) and TikTok more widely than teenage boys (66 percent vs 59 percent). On the other hand, boys are more likely than girls to use YouTube (93 percent vs. 87 percent).

Reference:

1. Internet addiction - (https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/internet-addiction)

Source-IANS