How Connected Are Louisiana Teens: Insights From The Pew Research Study

SHREVEPORT, LA - A new report has some disturbing news about how much time teenagers in Louisiana and the U.S. spend on social media and digital devices. This latest study from the Pew Research Center reports that a majority of teens have smartphones and they are on it for the bulk of their days. In fact, this reports shows nearly half of teens say they’re online almost "constantly".

This study conducted a survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 back in September.

What Are the Top Sites for Teens?

This report shows that YouTube tops the list for teen online use. TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are next on the list. Nine out of 10 teenagers say they use YouTube. 6 out 10 teens say they are often on Instagram and TikTok while 55% say they are still using Snapchat.

Teens have been abandoning older social media sites like Facebook and X. Only 32% of teenagers say they have a presence on Facebook. Ten years ago, 71% of teenagers were actively involved on Facebook.

This data could be changing in Louisiana and some other states that have banned cell phones in schools. This report says most Americans are in favor of these bans and are hopeful this will help with learning in our schools.

What's the Difference Between Boys and Girls Online Use?

The Pew Research report shows girls are much more likely to be on TikTok while boys are more likely to use YouTube. Just over 10% of boys and girls say they use Snapchat almost constantly.