In late 2024, the Pew Research Center released “Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024,” its latest survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17. Despite widespread concern about social media’s impact on teen mental health, school cellphone bans, and new state restrictions on social media use for minors, teens are using tech as much as ever. Nearly half say they are online “almost constantly.” Although time spent using the most popular social media platforms—YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat —did dip slightly since Pew Internet’s 2023 report, 90% of teens still go on YouTube daily (down from 95%), while 63% say they visit TikTok daily (down from 67%). Approximately half of teens say they go on Instagram or Snapchat every day.
It's clear that teen life will continue to be deeply intertwined with technology and social media in 2025. They will need our support more than they will need restrictions or bans. So here are three tech trends with corresponding tips to help you help your teens build a healthy relationship with technology.
1) YouTube Dominates Teens' Attention
YouTube remains the most popular social media application among teenagers. Although they turn to TikTok and Instagram for short-form videos, there is a noticeable trend towards long-form content on YouTube, suggesting that teens are using the platform for both entertainment and information. A new report from the American Psychological Association, titled “APA Recommendations for Healthy Teen Video Viewing: A Summary of the Science with Action Steps Regarding Video Viewing and Adolescent Well-Being,” highlights the crucial role of parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults in influencing how video content impacts young people. The report provides several recommendations based on current scientific evidence, which are summarized below:
Limit Exposure to Harmful Content: Restrict exposure to videos depicting violence, risky behaviors, cyberhate, unhealthy body images, and more. Talk to teens about such content to mitigate its potential negative effect.
Encourage Exposure to Positive Content: Videos that emphasize empathy, kindness, learning, emotional well-being, and joy have a positive impact upon teens, help them source such content.
Guide Them Towards Accurate Information: Teens are actively looking for information about physical and mental health topics on YouTube, so be sure they are receiving accurate and reliable information.
Help Them Develop Healthy Relationship Skills: Adolescence is critical period for developing relationship skills, so be sure to guide teens towards content that models healthy peer interactions.
Monitor the Impact of Influencers: Teens can be highly susceptible to peer influence, so be aware of their exposure to “influencers,” or individuals who have gained large online audiences. Be sure teens understand the potential impact of influencers upon their self-image and values.
Manage Screen Time: Encourage teens to participate in offline activities to prevent excessive screen time, which can be harmful to their physical and mental health.
2) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Is Everywhere
Nearly every platform teens will use in 2025—from YouTube to Snapchat, Reddit to Discord, Roblox to Spotify, and even Google Search—will be powered by AI technology. As teens increasingly engage with AI, it is imperative that they, at the very minimum, understand how it works and be able to detect its shortcomings and potential dangers. Currently, a Florida mom is suing Character.AI, a company that provides realistic-appearing AI characters to interact with, alleging that her son’s relationship with an AI character led to his suicide. Although this is a very extreme example of the potential dangers of AI, it underscores the urgency of helping teens “see” the AI they are sure to encounter.
Here are some topics you can help teens understand when it comes to AI:
Misinformation. Teens should know that AI is not infallible and that AI-generated misinformation abounds online. Help them learn how to double check content that appears AI-generated. Be sure they know this includes images too.
Personalization: AI algorithms personalize the content we receive based on our behavior, preferences, and previous interactions. Teens should understand that while this may enhance their experience with tailored recommendations, such as suggesting videos like the ones they just watched, it can also severely limit the type of content they are exposed to online.
Data Privacy: Teens should be aware that personalization occurs because the platforms they use are actively and aggressively collecting and analyzing their personal data. Help them utilize their privacy settings and manage data sharing. This is essential to protecting their personal information.
Ethical Use: Teens should learn about the ethical implications of using AI in creative ways, including issues related to copyright and original works.
Potential Risks: While apps like Character.AI can offer companionship through AI chatbots, teens should know that this can be risky if they rely upon them for emotional support instead of turning to real-life relationships.
By understanding these aspects of AI, teens can begin to make informed decisions about how they interact with it.
3) The Social Media Landscape is Shifting
In “The 2024 State of Social Media,” technology journalist Taylor Lorenz writes, “... we've officially entered the age where social media is more about entertainment and education than one-to-one personal connections.”
Although teens will still use social media to connect with friends, they are doing a lot more than just socializing. For example, teens are increasingly using TikTok and YouTube as search engines, turning away from traditional search on Google. User-generated platforms like these (just think about who the users are!), may not be the best places for teens to turn to for information, especially for a school project. Case in point... researchers from the University of Chicago discovered that almost 60% of health videos posted by “nonmedical influencers” — content creators without medical expertise — included misinformation.
In addition to searching for information, teens are shopping and engaging with brands on Instagram, they're flexing their creative muscles on Pinterest, getting news and helping e-commerce thrive on TikTok, and learning about current events, increasingly, from podcasts. And, speaking of TikTok, the platform faces a potential ban this month, begging the question of where its 150 million US users will go next.
This is an ideal time for parents and caregivers to talk with teens about the shifting landscape:
Discuss the privacy and national security issues behind the possible TikTok ban. Ask what they use TikTok for, and what other social media platforms might replace it.
Ask how they search for information online. Do they use a social media platform? An AI tool? Discover which ones.
Talk about the purpose of each platform they use. You might be surprised.
Are You Still Reading?
If you’ve made it this far through the extensive list of ways parents and caregivers can help teens navigate these trends without wondering how you’ll find the time to do so —then, congratulations… you’re likely in the minority. Most adults struggle to find the time, and many teens don’t willingly turn to parents or caregivers for tech guidance. This is exactly why every adult should advocate for digital literacy education in schools. Thankfully, many schools have recognized the urgency of integrating digital literacy into their curricula, which is great news. But many other schools are still falling behind.
It’s high time all schools dedicated space for students to learn how to maximize the benefits of technology while minimizing its dangers, giving parents the chance to stop worrying about how their children will engage with tech in 2025 and beyond.
Diana Graber is the founder and director of Cyber Civics and Cyberwise. She is also the author of "Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology" (HarperCollins Leadership).
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