Expert tips for parents to stay in sync with their teenager’s technology habits.
Last month, the Pew Research Center released its new survey, focused on American teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17. The key takeaway reveals that, in spite of worries about how social media affects their mental well-being and restrictions on phone usage in educational settings, these young individuals continue to engage with technology extensively.
Almost half of them say they are online “almost all the time.”
While the time spent on popular social media sites like YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat has dropped a little since Pew’s 2023 report, 90% of teens still use YouTube every day (down from 95%) and 63% visit TikTok daily (down from 67%). About half of the teens also say they check Snapchat or Instagram every day.
It’s obvious that teenagers’ lives will still be closely connected to technology and social media in 2025. But, according to digital literacy educator and advocate Diana E. Graber, M.A., they will benefit more from parental support than from strict rules or bans.
Here are three tech trends that are impacting teenagers in 2025, along with some tips from Graber on how to help our teens create a positive relationship with technology.
1. YouTube will continue to dominate.
YouTube remains the most popular social media app for teenagers. While they also like TikTok and Instagram for short videos, there is a clear shift towards longer videos on YouTube. This shows that teens are using the platform for both fun and learning.
A recent report from the American Psychological Association highlights the crucial role parents, caregivers and trusted adults play in shaping the way videos affect young people. It provides some research-based suggestions:
- Limit exposure to harmful content. Restrict the exposure your teen has to videos depicting violence, reckless behavior, cyberbullying, unhealthy body standards and similar content. Have conversations with them about these topics to help mitigate any potential harm they may cause.
- Encourage exposure to positive content. Posts and programming that highlight compassion, generosity, education, emotional health and happiness have a beneficial effect on adolescents. Assist them in finding content with these themes.
- Guide them toward accurate information. Young people are eagerly searching for insights on physical and mental health subjects on YouTube, so it’s crucial to ensure they’re getting trustworthy and factual information.
- Help them develop healthy relationship skills. The teenage years are pivotal for honing interpersonal skills, so it’s essential to steer young people toward resources that showcase positive friendships and interactions.
- Monitor the impact of influencers. Teenagers can easily be influenced by their friends, so it’s important to pay attention to the “influencers” they follow online. Make sure your teen realizes how these content creators can affect how they see themselves and what they believe in.
- Manage screen time. Remember to encourage teenagers to participate in face-to-face activities and events, preventing them from spending too much time on screens. Excessive exposure can negatively affect both their physical and mental well-being.
2. Artificial Intelligence will be all around them.
This year, almost every platform that teenagers use—like YouTube, Snapchat, Reddit, Discord, Roblox, Spotify, and even Google Search—will be using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. As their use of AI increases, it’s critical for them to understand how it works and how to recognize its problems and risks.
Right now, a mother in Florida is suing Character.AI, a company that creates realistic AI characters for people to talk to, claiming that her son’s interaction with an AI character contributed to his suicide. While this is a severe example of the dangers of AI, it highlights the need to help our teens understand the AI they will encounter.
Here are some talking points you can use to help teenagers learn about AI:
Misinformation: Teens need to understand that AI isn’t perfect and it produces a significant amount of misleading content across the web. We should guide them on how to verify information that appears to be made by AI. They also need to recognize that this advice applies to images as well.
Personalization: AI algorithms customize the content we see based on how we act, what we like and what we’ve looked at before. Teens should know that while this can make their experience better by recommending videos similar to the ones they just watched, it can also seriously narrow down the kinds of content they encounter online.
Privacy: It’s crucial for young people to realize that the apps and websites they use are constantly gathering and looking at their personal information. It’s important for them to use their privacy settings and control what data they share so they can keep their private information safe.
Right-minded use: Teenagers should learn about the ethical implications of using AI in creative ways, including issues related to copyright and original works.
Possible dangers: While apps can provide friendship through AI chatbots, teens should remain aware that it can be dangerous to depend on them for emotional support instead of seeking help from real-life relationships.
By learning about these components of AI, teenagers can make smart choices about how they use it.
3. The world of social media is changing.
In her article titled The 2024 State of Social Media, journalist Taylor Lorenz highlights a shift in social media’s purpose. It has evolved to prioritize entertainment and education rather than just having personal conversations.
While teenagers still use social media to chat with friends, they are also using it for much more. For instance, many are now using TikTok and YouTube to search for information instead of using Google. However, these platforms, which are made by users, might not be the best places for teens to find accurate information, especially for school projects. For example, researchers from the University of Chicago found that nearly 60 percent of health videos from “nonmedical influencers” – people without medical training – contained false information.
Teens aren’t just looking for information online; they’re also shopping and interacting with brands on Instagram, being creative on Pinterest, getting news and supporting online shopping on TikTok, and learning about current events from podcasts more than ever.
And when it comes to TikTok specifically, there could be a ban on the app this month, which raises the question of where its 150 million users in the U.S. will go next. Gerber suggests that now is a great time for parents and caregivers to discuss these changes with teenagers:
Talk to your teen about the privacy and national security concerns related to the potential ban on TikTok. Find out what they use TikTok for and what other social media sites could take its place.
Ask them how they look for information on the internet. Are they using any social media sites or AI tools? Find out which ones they are using.
Talk about why they picked each platform. You might be surprised by their answers.
The Bottom Line
Many teenagers don’t ask their parents or guardians for help with technology. Our providing a well-rounded approach to social media management that includes time limits, parental monitoring and ongoing discussions about social media—alongside the assistance of enhanced digital skills education at school so students can discover how to navigate technology safely and efficiently – can help protect their mental health and overall wellbeing.
