Pew Research Center surveyed both teens and parents and found that nearly three-quarters of the teenagers feel happy or satisfied when they don't have their smartphones with them, but nearly 44% said they feel worried and anxious when they don't have their smartphones. The survey aimed to understand teenagers' sentiments regarding their smartphones.
The 1,450 pairs of teens and their parents who participated in the survey were asked multiple questions about their smartphones and what it's like to own one. They were also asked how they feel when they don’t have their smartphones with them, with 40% of teens reporting feeling worried.
These feelings varied according to gender. 45% of teenage girls felt lonely without their smartphones, compared to 34% of teenage boys.
The survey also found that teenagers are not happy with their parents' smartphone habits. 56% of the teens reported that their parents are often distracted by their phones when talking with them. 31% of the parents acknowledged that they are often using their smartphones and cannot listen to their teens attentively. Colleen Mclain, a lead researcher of this survey, emphasized that screen time is not just a teen issue but also a family issue, where parents also face serious screen time issues and struggle to give their children enough attention. Talking to both parents and their children helps in understanding some of the problems that families who use smartphones face.
The teens who participated in the survey said that smartphones have more advantages than disadvantages. Two-thirds of the teens said that smartphones help them explore new ideas and be creative. Approximately half of them also said that their smartphones help them do better in school. Additionally, one-third of the surveyed teens believed that smartphones can help them learn social skills.
When parents were polled, the survey found that nearly half of the parents have checked their teens’ phones at least once. 43% of them reported this occurring without their teen’s knowledge. Parents stated that they are more likely to check their younger teen’s smartphone than their older teen's. Approximately 40% of the surveyed parents and teenagers said that most of their arguments are related to smartphones and screen time.
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The 1,450 pairs of teens and their parents who participated in the survey were asked multiple questions about their smartphones and what it's like to own one. They were also asked how they feel when they don’t have their smartphones with them, with 40% of teens reporting feeling worried.
These feelings varied according to gender. 45% of teenage girls felt lonely without their smartphones, compared to 34% of teenage boys.
The survey also found that teenagers are not happy with their parents' smartphone habits. 56% of the teens reported that their parents are often distracted by their phones when talking with them. 31% of the parents acknowledged that they are often using their smartphones and cannot listen to their teens attentively. Colleen Mclain, a lead researcher of this survey, emphasized that screen time is not just a teen issue but also a family issue, where parents also face serious screen time issues and struggle to give their children enough attention. Talking to both parents and their children helps in understanding some of the problems that families who use smartphones face.
The teens who participated in the survey said that smartphones have more advantages than disadvantages. Two-thirds of the teens said that smartphones help them explore new ideas and be creative. Approximately half of them also said that their smartphones help them do better in school. Additionally, one-third of the surveyed teens believed that smartphones can help them learn social skills.
When parents were polled, the survey found that nearly half of the parents have checked their teens’ phones at least once. 43% of them reported this occurring without their teen’s knowledge. Parents stated that they are more likely to check their younger teen’s smartphone than their older teen's. Approximately 40% of the surveyed parents and teenagers said that most of their arguments are related to smartphones and screen time.
