US teens spend a good amount of time on social media daily despite several harmful effects of the dangerous habit. A survey reveals the average time an individual spends scrolling through different apps, and it isn’t small.
The same survey also shows that one gender is more hooked to these apps than the other with a significant difference in the total time they spend on social media.
Average time US teens spend on social media
The report published in October 2023 uses data concerning different age groups and genders to determine the total spent on platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).
The results of the survey showed that a 13-year-old spends 4.1 hours per day on average while it’s 5.8 hours for a 17-year-old.
As far as the two genders are concerned, girls spend nearly an hour more than boys on their favorite apps. While the average time of female respondents was 5.3 hours, it was 4.4 hours among males.
The average hours per day for all teenagers was 4.8 hours, which implies most teens spend their free time buried in their mobile phones.
The report was published by Gallup and the Institute for Family Studies using data collected amid “growing concerns from academic scholars that social media use is habit-forming, leads to overconsumption and may contribute to mental health problems.”
Boys love YouTube, girls prefer TikTok
The survey further revealed each gender’s preference for social media apps. While boys spend 2.1 hours on average on YouTube, girls use it for about 1.7 hours daily.
The figures are opposite with respect to TikTok which appears to be popular among girls as they spend 1.9 hours on average on the video-sharing platform, while boys use it for about 1.1 hours daily.
As for Instagram, the ladies again spend more time compared to their male counterparts with an average time of 1.1 and 0.7 hours respectively.
It was found that teens who ranked the list by spending more time on social media live with parents who aren’t too strict with limiting screen time.
Teens who spend more time on social media were found to be less conscientious – the ability to self-control and regulate compared to those who used these apps less. Going by the Gallup polling, teen girls are more exposed to the consequences of extended screentime compared to boys.
