bitkom youth study 2024Young people spend a lot of time on their smartphones every day
Smartphones are becoming a daily companion
Children and young people are spending more and more time on their smartphones: while children between the ages of 6 and 9 spend an average of 37 minutes a day on their smartphones, usage among 10 to 12-year-olds increases to 107 minutes. Young people between the ages of 13 and 15 already spend around two and a half hours (154 minutes) a day on the device, and among 16 to 18-year-olds, the figure is even over three hours (201 minutes). The smartphone is used particularly frequently for text messages (90%), music and podcasts (89%), as well as photos and videos (82%). Many also use it for games, voice messages, phone calls and social media.
bitkom e.V.
Bitkom e. V. is the industry association of the German information and telecommunications sector and represents 2,200 companies from the digital economy.
For almost half, time spent on social media itself is too much
93% of 10 to 18-year-olds use social media, with YouTube being the most popular at 87%, followed by Instagram and Snapchat at 53% each. The amount of time spent on social networks increases with age: younger people (10 to 11 years) spend around 51 minutes a day on them, while 16 to 18-year-olds spend more than two hours (134 minutes) a day on them. A third of young people state that they cannot imagine life without social media. As many as 42% say they spend more time on social networks than they would like.
A third already have experience with scary content
The majority of young people surveyed are aware of the privacy settings on their social networks and say they have adjusted them. Nevertheless, there are challenges: 39% of young people have already seen hate comments online and 33% have come across content that has made them feel afraid. 16% have been insulted or bullied online and 12% report lies being spread about them. Despite these negative experiences, most young people react actively by talking to parents, friends or the platform operators, although parental support decreases with increasing age. Youth protection settings are frequently used by younger people, but much less frequently by older people.
More media literacy at home and in schools
The Bitkom study proves once again that children and young people today live in a digitalized world that is developing at a rapid pace. It opens up many opportunities, but also harbors risks and challenges. Educators and teachers are therefore faced with the daily task of supporting adolescents in acquiring media skills. As heavy users, children and young people should be informed about copyright, self-data protection, cyberbullying and digital well-being.
klicksafe therefore provides parents, teachers and educators with comprehensive information on safe practices, accompanying processes and legal guidelines for using the internet. We offer a variety of media and materials that you can use at home or in the classroom to prepare children and young people for the adventure of the internet and social media.
