Screenagers – Raised By YouTube, Fed By TikTok, Ignored By Us

Nearly half of American teens are online almost constantly.

Read that again.

This isn’t just connection – this is immersion.
According to Pew Research Center’s latest report, teens are spending more time glued to screens than ever before, reshaping culture, communication, and habits in ways we’re only beginning to understand.

And the platform leading the charge?

YouTube (not what I thought, either).
The numbers don’t lie.
73% of teens say they use YouTube daily.
One-third of them use at least one social media platform “almost constantly”.
TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat round out the list, with Facebook and X slowly fading into teens’ background.

The rise of YouTube as the dominant platform is no small shift.

It’s not just videos.
It’s TV.
It’s music.
It’s learning.
It’s background noise – wallpaper for an always-on generation.
This isn’t a new screen addiction… it’s an evolved one.

But is this a problem – or just a generational handoff?

Here’s where the divide becomes clear.
Older generations (the digital immigrants) see this behavior and recoil.
What happened to TV in the living room?
Family dinners without screens?

Teens today live in a different reality.

Most have smartphones.
Most use social media daily.
Most (even ones from smaller economically stable homes) have connectivity.

And 46% say they’re online “almost constantly”.

It’s not just “connected” anymore – it’s consumed.

The question is:

Do we need teens to behave more like older generations, or do older generations need to adapt to this cultural shift?
Interestingly, Instagram usage – especially among teen girls – is rising, with 12% saying they use it “almost constantly,” up from 8% just a year ago.

Here’s the part we’re not talking about:

Platforms track how many times teens log in.
But what about how many hours they spend there?
That data is rarely shared – maybe because it would make the addictive nature of these platforms undeniable.
And when nearly half of teens are “almost constantly” online, it raises a bigger question:

How much of their time is theirs, and how much of it belongs to the platforms?

This isn’t about screens.
It’s about habits.
It’s about an entire generation that will grow up never knowing a world without a glowing rectangle in their hand.

How does that shape their communication? Their relationships? Their creativity?

What happens when today’s teens become adults with their own teens?
The screens won’t disappear. 
The platforms won’t disappear.
AI will, without question, change everything.
So, as we look at these numbers, we have to ask ourselves:

Are we prepared for what comes next?

Or are we just scrolling past the problem?

This is what Elias Makos and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

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