- Common Sense Media surveyed 1,000 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17.
- 61% of teens preferred texting their friends, video-chatting, or using social media over in-person communication.
- Just 32% preferred face-to-face communication.
- This is a stark contrast from 2012, when 49% of teens preferred talking in person.
Hanging out with friends after school has a brand new meaning for Generation Z. According to a new study by Common Sense Media, today’s teens overwhelmingly prefer texting and chatting online to hanging out with their friends in real life.
The non-profit, which aims to help kids thrive in a tech-driven world, surveyed 1000 children between the ages of 13 and 17 about their social media habits. They found that 61% of teenagers preferred texting, video chatting or social media over talking to their friends in person. Texting won the top spot overall, leading us to believe that Gen Z was never forced through the dredges of a flip phone’s T9 keyboard.
While the study may seem alarming to some, today’s teens might actually be more connected than ever. A whopping 70% of teenagers admitted they’re on social media multiple times a day, with 16% reporting they’re “almost constantly” on it. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z grew up in a world of group video chatting and online video games that gave them little onus to actually leave the house -- but they didn’t always prefer it.
In 2012, the non-profit carried out a similar survey and found that 49% of teens actually did prefer talking face-to-face and just 42% favored technology-driven communications. By 2018, talking in person was knocked down to second place in favor of texting. Today, just 32% of teens prefer chatting in person, while 35% prefer SMS or messaging apps. Social media and video chatting clocks in at last place and is preferred by 16% and 10% teens, respectively (these figures have more than doubled since 2012).
Teens may prefer texting their friends, but it's at the expense of in-person relationships. Few things are as frustrating as trying to dish your drama to a pal who has their nose deep in an Instagram feed. Apparently, this also annoys teens — 44% of teens admit they get frustrated with their friends for being on their phones while they hang out. Don’t worry, though: it doesn’t actually get that depressing. 25% of teens say using social media makes them feel “less lonely” and 16% claim it makes them feel less depressed.
Though an alarming 54% of teens admitted that parents would be a lot more worried if they knew what was really happening online, these findings aren’t really anything to lose sleep about (unless you’re one of the 29% of teen smartphone owners that have been woken up from a text or notification). According to Vicky Rideout, who helped author the study, “In another six years from now, these statistics may seem quaint." If all else fails, just don’t forget your backup battery.
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