The implications of teen internet usage

In 2015, 59% of 14-year-olds owned a smartphone. By 2021, that number had jumped to 91%.

A new report from Pew Research Center shows the consequences of that finding. In short, teens are basically living online, with 46% of 13- to 17-year-olds using the internet “almost constantly.”

And all that screen time…

… doesn’t appear to be great for mental health.

• A recent CDC study found the percentage of American high school students who feel “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness” jumped from 26% to 44% between 2009 and 2021.

The study also found the percentage of American teens getting eight or more hours of sleep per night fell 30% between 2007 and 2019.

The answer…

… isn’t exactly clear. But more sleep and less screen time probably isn’t a bad place to start.