Privacy is not important to teenagers on social media  

New research reveals

With privacy issues dominating the daily news, one would expect teenagers to distrust social media. But a new survey by the Pew Research Center shows a very different picture of the perception teenagers have of social media and of the effects it has on their lives.

Asking 1,316 American teenagers aged 13 to 17, it is revealed that teenagers have a much more tolerant attitude towards social media than adults who grew up in the pre-social media era. 80% of teens said social media makes them feel more connected to their friends and 71% say it gives them a space to express their creativity.

67% answered that they connect them with people who support them when they are going through a difficult time, while 58% said that they make them feel accepted.

The majority describe social media as a neutral experience, with 59% having neither positive nor negative feelings about it. However, there are more people who see them positively (39%) than those who see them negatively (9%).

38% feel tired of the daily drama on the platforms and 1/3 feel that their friends ignore them. 29% feel pressured to upload something that will get a lot of likes and comments and 23% said social media makes them feel worse about their lives.

The issue of privacy does not concern them, with 60% feeling that they do not have some control over the way companies collect and use their data. Just 20% are concerned about data collection and 44% are not concerned about what companies like Meta and TikTok might know about them. Only 10% use social media for some kind of political action or social issues.

Girls report in higher percentages than boys that social media causes them negative feelings.