With the summer holidays, comes the freedom to spend more time outdoors and with friends, right? Or perhaps it’s more time to spend online?
Numerous studies have delved into the screen habits of teenagers. In fact, a 2023 Ofcom report 'Teens on screens', found that 51% of young people felt they spend too much time online.
Of course, many people have their own views on whether spending time scrolling through your phone and social media, is a good or bad thing. But what if news reports were solely based on these opinions, rather than actual data and the facts?
Well comedian Darren Harriott has been out and about asking people how long they think teenagers spend online… and as you’ll see, if we were to accept these answers as fact, we’d be left with a somewhat biased and skewed view of the world!
According to Ofcom's 2023 Children Media Lives study, almost all young people aged 3-17 watch videos on video sharing apps, and 80% of 16–17-year-olds watch live streamed video content.
The good news is that 16–24-year-olds are also more likely to take social media breaks to manage their wellbeing and as Darren Harriot explained, young people probably aren’t spending as much time online as some might think.
Before sharing information online, remember to fact-check it: identify sources and double-check where the content originated, as well as using trusted outlets and platforms to verify.
