Takeaways From Teen Social Media Report

By Bob Whelan P '24
Head of School

This weekend I had a chance to read Common Sense Media's summary of their research on the social media habits of teenagers (age 13-17) and the impact social media has on their lives. The findings are certainly relevant to our work with students.

A few items that resonated with me:

• In 2012, 49% of teens reported that their favorite way to communicate was in person. That figure has since dropped to 32%. Basically, teens would rather text than communicate in person. Ron Dahl at the Center on the Developing Adolescent at UC Berkeley suggests teenagers may favor the control texting affords versus the riskier, in-person interaction when one is more self-conscious and less able to self-edit.
• More than half (54%) acknowledge that social media distracts them from the people they are with (up from 44% in 2012). The report warns that 54% might feel laughably low six years from now.
• Teenagers are much more likely to say social media has a positive rather than a negative effect on how they feel.
• Teens with low socio-emotional well-being experience more of the negative effects of social media than kids with high social-emotional well-being.
• And certainly not a surprise, teens acknowledge that social media serves as a distractor from important things and their friends. 

Another nice summary of the research can also be found here. The challenge of helping young people develop the rituals and habits that will help prepare them for a life of purpose in a world replete with incredibly compelling social media offerings/distractions would seem to be one that deserves our attention.