The analysts surveyed nearly 750 teenagers, aged 13 to 17, across the United States earlier this year to assess their smartphone and social media usage and how both have impacted their lives.
After analyzing the results, they found that YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are favored over Facebook. In fact, 85 percent of the participants said they preferred YouTube, 72 percent chose Instagram and 62 percent selected Snapchat.
Only 51 percent used Facebook, which was a 20-point drop from 2015, when the platform was one of the top picks. Just 32 percent of kids preferred Twitter.
Researchers also revealed that lower-income teens were more likely to use Facebook than higher-income teens. Seven out of 10 teens living in households earning less than $30,000 a year were Facebook users, compared to 36 percent of those living in households earning $75,000 or more.
Furthermore, the scientists discovered an uptick in smartphone ownership. According to the study, 95 percent of teens now have a smartphone or access to one. As a result, 45 percent of them said they are online on a near-constant basis and 44 percent said they are online several times day.
Despite the fact that social media has a “nearly ubiquitous presence,” there was no clear consensus about how it affects children. About 45 percent said it has neither a positive nor negative effect. On the other hand, 31 percent said it was a mostly positive effect, and 24 percent said it was a mostly negative effect.
Those who called their experience mostly positive listed connecting with friends and family as the main reason, and those who said it was mostly negative listed bullying and rumor-spreading as the top reason.
Want to learn more about the report? Take a look at the details here.
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