Teens, Social Media and Technology Overview 2015

Lenhart, A. (2015, April 9). Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2015/04/PI_TeensandTech_Update2015_0409151.pdf 

This article discusses how smart phones are shifting communication among teens.  The data was collected online from 1060 teens and their parent or guardian.

I personally teeter in the middle of fence regarding smart phones.  Yes, it is wonderful to have direct, anytime access to information.  However, it does hinder our communication skills among each other and can interfere with family time.

I remember back to when I first got a smart phone.  No, I was not a teen, but I was excited and seemed to use it constantly.  My husband, who did not have a smart phone would poke fun at me for "being on the phone all the time."  After he got his own smart phone, he understood just how addicting it could be, and not so much in a positive way.  I see this trend with teens and this research does back that up with data and their usage of smart phones.

The studies showed that the teen African American population owned the highest percentage of smart phones, with 85%.  The household income did drive the percentage of smart phone owners, but not as much as you would expect.  61% of households with an income of less that $30,000 had smart phones, where as, 78% with an income greater than $75,000.  I would have expected the discrepancy to be a bit larger.

87% of teens have or have access to desktop or laptop computers.  81% of teens have or have access to gaming consoles or devices, with 91% of boys owning their own.  This was not a shocking total for me, as boys tend to gravitate towards gaming.

Out of the teens surveyed, most had or had access to several different technology devices.

Mobile access to the Internet from a smart phone topped the charts with 91% of teens.  Texting through messenger or through a message app is very popular, with the average teen sending or receiving 30 day.  I thought this statistic would have been much higher than 30.

Facebook continues to be the top choice for social media platforms among teens.  I thought with all of the other platforms, it would not have been the top choice, but it prevails over Instagram and Twitter.

Overall, the data did not surprise me too much, as I do have preteens in my house.  I often say, they know more about technology than I do!  Honestly it scares me somewhat because of what all they have access and exposure to due to the number of mobile devices and Internet access.









48 pages (84/150)