Marketing 3 min read

How Teens are Using Social Media

Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock.com

Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock.com

Today’s teenagers were born around the time Facebook was launched (in 2004). They have grown up with smartphones and social media platforms.

It might be a stressful time to be an adolescent with all that’s happening in the world, and what they have on their plate. But, it appears that it’s not enough to keep them busy since they still find some time for their smartphones and social media.

Perhaps, it’s their way to cope with stress in the first place. Plus for teenagers, smartphones are an indispensable means to maintain social relationships.

It’s their way to keep in touch with family, friends, and romantic partners.

For parents, the use of mobile devices and social platforms by their teens is a source of concern. For content marketers, however, it makes for an excellent business opportunity.

How Teens are Using Social Media

Teens spend more and more time on phones and social media. But, to better target them in your content marketing campaigns, you have to know their habits, preferences, and behavior on social networks.

You need to know how often teens use their phones and engage with social media. Or, if there’s any difference between teen demographics like male, female, and teens of color.

In the U.S., a survey conducted last year showed that 70 percent of teens, aged between 13 and 17, check their social media accounts several times a day. Compared to 2012, there was an increase of 34 percent.

Sixteen percent of teens who participated in the survey admitted to keeping an eye on their feeds almost always. Another 27 percent group of teens check their social feeds on an hourly basis.

Another study conducted in the U.K. surveyed 12,872 teens, aged 13–15 years, to investigate social media and adolescent sleep patterns.

The survey revealed that more than 1 in 5 teens spend five hours or more per day on social media. And this behavior may be messing up their sleep schedule.

Read More: New Study: Teens Are Not Damaged By Excess Screen Time

While not getting quality sleep could be a problem for teens themselves, marketers can help them with great content.

Another clue is the publishing time.

The best time to post on YouTube, Instagram, Reddit, and other social media is a recurrent question among marketers. You may want to aim for the night and especially the late hours, when most other than teens are asleep.

The study also found some demographic variations regarding the hours per day spent by teens on social media.

Girls tend to be heavy users of social media, more likely than boys. Among participants who reported a heavy use of social media (five or more hours per day), 28.4 percent were females and 13.7 percent males.

When teens are holding their smartphones late at night, checking for all the new posts and likes, it is your time to make your brand shine. Keep these insights in mind when tailoring your social media marketing strategy.

Read More: Snapchat Dysmorphia Drives Teens to Get Plastic Surgery

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Zayan Guedim

Trilingual poet, investigative journalist, and novelist. Zed loves tackling the big existential questions and all-things quantum.

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