Teens spend an average of seven hours and 22 minutes on their phones a day, and tweens ages 8 to 12 are not far behind, at four hours and 44 minutes daily, according to a new report by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that promotes safe technology and media for children. By the end of the decade, smartphones quickly became ubiquitous. These days, nearly 70 percent of high school students and 25 percent of middle schoolers have their own phones and use them daily. The same applies to college students.  According to the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, teens should only get two hours of recreational screen time a day.

Out of the 7 students we interviewed only one student admitted to using their phone 25/8 while the others stated they only use it from one hour to 5 hours the most in a day. Mr.Curry stated “I’m on my phone all day everyday unless i am showering or asleep”. When asked if he felt that he had an addiction he stated that he does not see it as an addiction. Other students answered that they used their phones for an average of 4-6 hours per day. When asked if they sense they have an addiction, they all believed that they didn’t.

According to AACAP, Surveys show that ninety percent of teens ages 13-17 have used social media. Seventy five percent report having at least one active social media profile, and 51% report visiting a social media site at least daily. Two thirds of teens have their own mobile devices with internet capabilities. On average, teens are online almost nine hours a day, not including time for homework. When asked about the social media apps used all students listed the 3 most common Instagram, Snapchat, and tiktok.

Along with social media comes social norms, You see all the things your favorite celebrity wears or how they post all their workout regimens to look the way they do. Valerie C. stated “I compare myself to them by default. I feel like I have to look like everyone else to be accepted.” Many other girls stated they don’t have that pressure to look like everyone else. They just kind of ignore it or follow self care quote pages for positive messages to weed out the negative.

Lets review, Phones and social media both have a huge impact on students’ lives. Students rely on social media to connect to their friends and stay up to date with trends,music, and celebrity content etc! Students can express themselves through social media by showing their interest and creating feed for their profiles. Students create for their followers and friends and that is now how society stays entertained. Because social media is so entertaining that explicates why teens are always on their phones.