How Teens Use Social Media

Posters teaching teenagers how to recognize fake news and maintain good digital citizenship adorn the walls in a high school library, serving as a helpful guide in navigating the often complex and often deliberately confusing realm of online information.

Teens are an eclectic bunch, and their digital media habits are ever-evolving, which makes it essential to regularly evaluate and update both content and tools accordingly.

Gaining insight into the teens using your product or service is one of the best ways to stay current on their needs and desires, and identify opportunities for improving it to promote healthier digital behavior among them.

One study revealed that teens are more likely to report inappropriate content posted by friends on Snapchat if the platform automatically makes their profile public. TikTok will soon allow caregivers to customize daily screen time limits for their child and create safeguards with videos containing mature or complex themes and assign maturity ratings accordingly.

Studies have linked social media use among adolescents with negative mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Therefore, it’s imperative that platforms work to promote safe behaviors while discouraging harmful ones; family settings have proven particularly effective at curbing harmful usage. It is also essential that platforms prioritize user safety by taking steps to secure private and sensitive data.