"Teens remain enthusiastic about life online: 87% go digital to manage or calm emotions. They relax, chat with friends, listen to music, or find out what they want to know. Most importantly for them, they connect with friends. They also use it to fend off boredom (which ‘can let in anxiety’). Over 2/3 say, it is ‘my main entertainment’. Around half go online to ‘escape my issues’. 47% feel more accepted when online, while three quarters feel more confident when on a screen.
Digital access: 85% have their own phone with wi-fi access. 68% of 11yr olds, 89% of 13 olds and 97% of 15 year olds have their own phone with wi-fi access.
The impacts of life on screens: While this is hotly debated amongst adults, here teenagers talk about how time on screens makes them feel. Responses are grouped into four parts: A) Benefits include: ‘feeling closer to my friends through social media 81%, or via gaming, 69%. Three quarters or 75% feel more confident when on a screen. They value creativity, the privacy and autonomy of finding out whatever they want, and the ability to ‘escape my issues’ or access entertainment and relaxation. B) ‘Electronic mood management’ explores how large numbers of teens use technology to manage their emotions. Contrary to popular myths, 80% hardly ever/never feel anxious after spending time on social media. 6% often feel anxious. C) 'Body mage and perception of others’ play a large role in online life: Almost 1 in 4 always or often believe that ‘Other people have a better life than me,’ Almost 1 in 5 say ‘Because of what I see online I’ve often tried to change my body shape’. D) Acceptance: Some feel it is easier to be accepted online or to ‘find people like me’. This is particularly true for young people who are unsure where they fit in, or those with a disability. Accessibility tools are widely used.
Identifying who is most at risk: The survey also explores those who are more likely to describe negative impacts such as teens with an eating disorder, or a mental health difficulty; those who worry about life at home, and those with vision or hearing loss, speech difficulties, young carers, children in care and those with other challenges. The findings in this survey remain consistent with our published research. This minority are less safe online then their peers, they are more likely to become anxious or depressed after time online (or offline) and need help to manage their online lives. Alongside experiencing problems and harms online, they tend to be living with offline difficulties, and emotional health concerns. Some report multiple vulnerabilities. For those living with challenges, and dealing with powerful emotions, or without the means to go out for entertainment, the internet plays a different role. It can represent both a refuge and a risk. Being deprived of it can cause deep distress.
Belonging and trust, or feeling left out: Boys are more likely to feel a sense of belonging and trust at school, whereas only 1/3 of girls say ‘school is a place where I feel I belong’ and ‘there is an adult I trust at school’. Teens need to feel they can turn to parents or trusted adults if they need to, and that they belong to and are valued in a community and also among friends. Compared to teens who never feel left out, those who do, described more anxiety, were less able to recover when things went wrong online, and were more likely to add unknown people as friends." (Executive summary, pages 4-6)