Young people's daily screen-time hits new peak as social apps take over

New research shows Gen-Z spends over 6 hours daily online with women leading the trend. Social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat dominate youthʼs digital time while raising safety concerns

November 28 2024 , 08:31 AM  •  628 views

Young people's daily screen-time hits new peak as social apps take over

A ground-breaking study by Ofcom shows that young-adults screen-time has reached an all-time high

The research (which tracked 10000 peoples online habits) shows that 18-24 year olds spend about 6 hrs daily online - thats almost 90 mins more than last yr. Female users are the most active spending 6 hrs 36 mins per day‚ while their male counter-parts clock around 5 hrs 28 mins

Social-apps dominate Gen-Zʼs digital world: three-fourths of young adults use TikTok spending roughly 64 mins daily on the platform; up from 55 mins in previous yr. Snapchat keeps users busy for about 55 mins per day. Ian Macrae from Ofcom points out that Facebook attracts older users while younger ones prefer newer platforms

UK adults on average spend 4 hrs 20 mins online with women staying connected 33 mins longer than men. However this increased online presence comes with its downsides - women face more unwanted friend requests and mean comments. Young girls often see content about unhealthy eating habits

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We know that young people spend much of their lives online

Ian Macrae‚ Ofcoms director of market intelligence