Teens using social media through mobile devices is customary. They overspend time on smartphones and connected devices and are guilty of it, a new report from Pew Research reveals.
Pew surveyed 753 teens and 1,058 parents in the US for insight on how pervasive digital media is and their views on its impact.
The teens seem concerned about the time spent on their devices. But their replies to the next queries suggest that they do not see it as harmful as parents do.
Parents held concern about the impact of social media and smartphones on teens. Yet, they play down how often their teens check their phones in the morning.
Results show other mismatches. It shows most teens think they do not overspend time on social media or playing video games. Yet, they think they must limit or cut both.
It means they feel contented, but social pressure makes them feel they have to cut back.
The gist is the key role social media and smartphones play today for your users. About 44 percent often check their phones the moment they wake up, and about 18 percent often feel indebted to reply fast.
It is hard to say these findings mean something. No complete report suggests that higher screen time has major implications on teen health. But social anxiety and depression from posting on social media and being judged by peers have clear links.
Social networks connect us. And teens are not merely playing video games mindlessly inside their own shell. They interact within games and multimedia devices, and bond with social communities. These technologies were nowhere to be found in the past.
Some views about screen time and mobile use are outdated. But parents still show concern about unnecessary screen time for their children.
Are these valid concerns though?
The exposure to social onlookers may have psychological and developmental impacts, but it may be beneficial.
Like the myth about damaging your eyes when sitting too close to the TV, perceptions are hard to shake.
For excessive screen time, we may come to an understanding of what’s apt and valuable for our kids.
Awareness is key, but tough to follow through. You must have a good grasp of what your children are exposed to and how they use social media. Still, it is hard to know whether controlling usage time will have a positive or negative bearing.
Is social media’s capability to connect people more helpful than its capability to aid discord, with the potential psychological effects?
While most parents report similar concern over their teen’s screen time, certain subgroups are more likely to say they limit screen time on their teen.
Parents of teens ages 13 to 14 are more likely to set limit screen time than parents of teens ages 15 to 17. About 71 percent of parents of younger teens do this regularly, compared to 47 percent of parents of older teens.
On the other hand, parents of boys and girls have equal concerns about their teen’s excessive screen time. Parents are also equally likely to limit screen time for boys and girls.
You can read the full report here.
