Whether or not you have teenage children – even if you don’t know a teenager – you must read the results of the latest Pew Research Center survey, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022, which found that 95 percent of 13- to 17-year-olds have access to a smartphone and 46 percent of them say they are “almost constantly” online. That’s up from 24 percent from eight years ago.
Pew researchers surveyed 1,316 teens in April 2022. More than half (54 percent) said it would be difficult for them to give up social media, especially for the older respondents aged 15 to 17.
These results are not surprising. However, as presented, the survey offers a directional understanding of just how difficult it is going to be to rein in social media addiction, online bullying, unintentional propagation of misinformation at scale, and (of course) weaponized information.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.