NEW YORK (AP) — Today’s teens are constantly on their smartphones, many check social media “constantly” and prefer texting over face-to-face communication.
But a new poll finds that these same teens also say that social media has a positive effect on their lives, helping them feel more confident, less lonely and less depressed.
The poll, released Monday by Common Sense Media, found that 89 percent of teenagers have their own smartphone. That’s up from 41 percent in 2012, the last time the survey was conducted.
But while 2012’s teens were all over Facebook, the social network’s use has plummeted in the past six years. Only 15 percent of teens say Facebook is their main social network. In 2012, 68 percent did.
The survey was conducted in March and April among 1,141 13- to 17-year-olds.
