Some teenagers are on social media “almost constantly,” a survey says

According to a report released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center, most American teenagers use YouTube and TikTok daily, and about one in five said they are on either platform “almost constantly.”

The survey, which examined the habits of 1,458 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17, suggests that despite growing concerns about the potential mental health risks, teens are not putting down their phones and spending much of their time scrolling through social media, watching videos or consulting artificial intelligence chatbots.

While YouTube was by far the most popular social media platform, used daily by three-quarters of study participants, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat remain very popular among teenagers. Use Facebook less.

“About a third of teens say they take at least one of the five programs almost constantly — and that number has been stable for several years,” said Michelle Faverio, a research fellow at Pew and lead author of the new report.

She noted that the report found that Black and Hispanic youth were particularly likely to say they used YouTube, TikTok and Instagram almost constantly. Teenage girls were more likely to scroll Snapchat and Instagram than boys, while boys were more likely to use Reddit and YouTube than girls.

The report also found that many teenagers regularly use AI chatbots. 64 percent of teens said they have used an AI chatbot, and 28 percent said they do so daily. Sixteen percent said they use chatbots several times a day or almost constantly.

Open AI’s ChatGPT was the most used chatbot, followed by Gemini and Meta AI. A much smaller group of teens reported using chatbots like Character.ai.

Eileen Kennedy-Moore, a psychologist in Princeton, New Jersey, who was not involved in the new report, said the findings were not necessarily surprising, although she understood why they might worry parents and caregivers.

“Online life is an essential part of children’s lives,” she said, adding, “It’s not that watching a YouTube video turns them into a pumpkin, but if they’re on it almost constantly, what are they missing out on?”

Although parents are often concerned about the number of hours a day children spend in front of screens, it is difficult to examine the true impact, and many who study screens and teen mental health warn against painting with too broad a brush. For example, a study published over the summer found that increased screen time at age 10 was not necessarily associated with higher rates of suicidal behavior, but compulsive or addictive use was.

Dr. Kennedy-Moore said one of her main concerns about children who say they use social media platforms or AI almost constantly is that they are missing out on opportunities for in-person connections and friendships, and that chatbots can provide a frictionless dynamic that doesn’t help teens develop important social skills. Plus, she said, excessive screen time can affect physical activity and sleep.

A study published this month in the journal Pediatrics found that children who owned smartphones by age 12 had a higher risk of depression, obesity and inadequate sleep than those who did not.

Recently, efforts to restrict teens’ access to devices and social media platforms have gained momentum. Several states have enacted phone bans during school hours, a measure with bipartisan support. And Australia recently became the first country to ban children under 16 from using social media.

Nevertheless, according to Dr. Kennedy-Moore, the burden of protecting children online falls largely on parents and caregivers.

“If your child is young enough to need bedtime, their devices need bedtime too,” she said. “As a clinician, I can tell you that nothing good happens with these devices in the middle of the night.”