A new study, albeit a US one, has confirmed that teenagers are increasingly concerned about their tech-filled lives, most notably the amount of time they spend on their mobile phones.
The study by the Pew Research Centre found that 52 per cent of respondents aged 13-17 had tried to cut back on their mobile phone use, some 57 per cent had tried to cut back on social media and 58 per cent had attempted to limit time spent playing video games.
Furthermore, 72 per cent of those surveyed said they’d often check for messages on their phones as soon as they woke up. Some 56 per cent of teens associate the absence of their phone with at least one of these three emotions: loneliness, being upset or feeling anxious with females far more likely to be anxious without them.
Parent’s reactions also appear to mirror that of their kids. Roughly two-thirds of parents surveyed said they were concerned about their kids’ screen time and 57 per cent had introduced restrictions.
Interestingly, 36 per cent of parents admitted they were worried about their own amount of screen time, while 51 per cent of their kids agreed that their parents’ screen use had distracted them from having a conversation with them.
A further 15 per cent of parents agreed they often lose focus at work because of their phones, while the figure was eight per cent of kids and school.
The report noted: “As they look at their own lives and those of their peers, most teens see things that worry them. Roughly nine-in-ten teens view spending too much time online as a problem facing people their age, including 60 per cent who say it is a major problem.”
Girls are somewhat more likely than boys to say they spend too much time on social media (47 per cent vs. 35 per cent). By contrast, boys are roughly four times as likely to say they spend too much time playing video games (41 per cent of boys and 11 per cent of girls say this).
