*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on USA Today.
The common stereotype has teens glued to their phones 24-7. But nearly 60 percent of teens in the U.S. have actually taken a break from social media, the bulk of them even voluntarily, a new survey found.
The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research of teens aged 13 to 17 found that most teens value the feeling of connection with friends and family that social media provides. A much smaller number associate it with negative emotions, such as being overwhelmed or needing to always show their best selves.
The survey, found that teens’ social media breaks are typically a week or longer, and boys are more likely to take longer breaks.
Teens were allowed to cite multiple reasons for their breaks. Nearly two-thirds of teens who took a break cited at least one voluntary reason. Amanda Lenhart, the lead researcher and an expert on young people and technology use, said she was surprised by this, as it counters the broader narrative that teens are “handcuffed” to their social media profiles.
Today’s teenagers might not recall a time before social media. MySpace was founded in 2003. Had it survived, it would be 14 years old today. Facebook is a year younger. Instagram launched in 2010. For an adult to understand what it might be like to take a break from social media for someone who grew up with it, consider disconnecting from email, or your phone for a couple weeks.
Voluntary reasons for teens’ breaks included 38 percent who did so because social media was getting in the way of work or school. Nearly a quarter said they were tired of “the conflict and drama” and 20 percent said they were tired of having to keep up with what’s going on.
Nearly half of teens who took a break did so involuntarily. This included 38 percent said it was because their parents took away their phone or computer and 17 percent who said their phone was lost, broken or stolen.
The involuntary break “is sort of its own challenge,” Lenhart said. “They feel that they are missing out, detached from important social relationships (as well as) news and information.”
About 35 percent of teens surveyed said they have not taken a break, citing such worries as missing out and being disconnected from friends. Some said they need social media for school or extracurricular activities.
Source: USA Today
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/04/27/poll-most-teens-have-taken-social-media-break/100982708/
Source: Home Word
