Youth study on social media use: Less is better, but how?

Contents

If the new youth study by the Vodafone Foundation makes one thing clear, it is this: young people are aware of the problems associated with their use of social media and have little objection to bans on cell phone use in schools. Although they develop their own strategies for self-regulation, they would also like to see more support. The youth study also makes it clear that there is a significant gap between what they want and what is possible or available to them – and restricting self-determination is not easy, even when major issues are identified.

Irreconcilable camps

The new Vodafone youth study entitled "Between screen time and self-regulation – Social Media in the Everyday Lives of Young People" begins with a few comments that can be understood as criticism of the intense debates on cell phone bans in schools and young people's use of social media. On the one hand, managing director Matthias Graf von Kielmansegg points out in the foreword that there are apparently two "irreconcilable camps" in the public debate: the "protection and prohibition" team and the "opportunity and openness" team. On the other hand, the study's authors emphasize right at the outset that the results of the Vodafone study do not simply allow "conclusions to be drawn about children under the age of 14," as no younger adolescents were surveyed. They therefore seem to fear that the study results will be taken out of context and that the perceived polarization in the public debate could continue. The Vodafone Foundation would like to see the "dialogue become more solution-oriented." The study is intended to provide impetus for this. Nevertheless, its findings could still be cause for alarm.

In the wake of social media

Between April 28 and May 18, 2025, Infratest dimap surveyed 1,046 German-speaking young people between the ages of 14 and 20 on behalf of the Vodafone Foundation. 73 percent of them spend more time on social media than they would like – 32% stated that this was the case "frequently", 41% "occasionally". 56% would like to use it less, but are unable to do so (22% "frequently", 34% "occasionally"). They also neglect other things for social media use. 61% fully or somewhat agreed with this. Young women are even more likely to say this (70%) than young men (53%).

Translated into usage time, the study shows that only 29% of young people who use social media such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat or YouTube do so for up to two hours a day – a time frame that is "often considered harmless." The majority exceed this: 42 percent of young people spend three to four hours a day on social media, 19 percent spend five to seven hours, and 8 percent spend more than seven hours. Among those who use social media for more than five hours a day, 32 percent are young women, compared to 23 percent young men. And young people with a low or medium level of formal education (32 percent) also show more intensive usage behavior than their peers with a higher level of education, only 20 percent of whom reported this.

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Vodafone Stiftung Studie "Zwischen Bildschirmzeit und Selbstregulation" (13 Bilder)

Social media is primarily used for entertainment; 95 percent of young people agreed or strongly agreed with this statement. 85 percent agreed that they use it to communicate with their friends. More than half see it as a source of inspiration or a way to be creative themselves. 46 percent said they had also experienced exclusion and devaluation there, while 42 percent compare themselves via these platforms. Young women are more affected by social comparisons (52 percent) than young men (31 percent). With regard to distressing content, which 36 percent see regularly, more young women than young men reported noticing it (46 percent vs. 27 percent).

Fifty percent fully or somewhat agree with the statement that they only use social media "so they don't miss anything." Forty-five percent would also like to be less accessible. However, 29 percent of the young people surveyed feel pressured to always stay up to date, and 27 percent feel pressured to post their own content. Twenty-four percent are concerned about whether they will receive enough likes and reach for shared content.

Social media vs. learning

Although 73 percent of young people say that they find useful learning content on social media, 65 percent of them also say that it often distracts them from learning. 45 percent of those surveyed also agreed that they cannot concentrate for long without checking their social media accounts.

Nevertheless, 60 percent say that they can coordinate their social media use and study time or reduce their usage time before important exams. Twenty-three percent said that they "often" have a non-topic-related video playing in the background while doing their homework, while 33 percent said that they do so "occasionally."

Forty-seven percent say they reflect on their usage behavior at least regularly. They also use strategies to better control their social media usage behavior. Sixty-nine percent deactivate notifications from these apps, 51 percent consciously set their cell phones to "do not disturb," and 58 percent avoid social media when they want to study. Fifty percent of them also observe cell phone-free times during the day, 34 percent use screen time monitoring tools, and temporarily uninstalling apps is still a solution for 30 percent.

Parents – Rules, conversations and access

In 53% of cases, parents set rules on social media use for young people aged between 14 and 17. 68% of parents rely on conversations rather than rules or bans. 30 percent of them restrict usage in terms of time, 27 percent restrict certain content.

According to 64% of respondents, their parents are informed about the platforms they use and 47% are aware of what content is being consumed – Among young women, this is more common (52 percent) than among young men (42 percent).

Although the majority of young people said they spend more time on social media than they would like, 57 percent believe that they should decide for themselves how they use media. Only 27 percent favor joint decisions with parents or other caregivers, and only 12 percent want parents to be the sole decision-makers.

The survey also indicates that children are apparently getting their own smartphones at an increasingly early age, which then provides them with access to social media. Young people between the ages of 14 and 17 stated that they received their first smartphone at an average age of 10.7. Respondents aged 18 to 20 cited an average age of 11.3.

Cell phone use in schools

Regarding the ongoing debates about banning cell phone use in schools, the responses of young people suggest that some debates are actually a storm in a teacup. Thirty-four percent of respondents attend schools with a general ban on cell phones, and 41 percent stated that use is permitted but that there are clear rules. Only 7 percent reported that they attend a school with no rules on private mobile devices.

These figures should then attract more attention: 60 percent favor a complete ban on cell phones in lessons or classrooms. And only 49 percent of students and trainees are taught responsible and sensible use of social media in schools, according t – from the perspective of the respondents –. However, 81 percent of them would like to see a broader range of media education offerings with lessons on how to use social media better and information on how social media use affects the brain. They also want dedicated school projects (83 percent) or at least tips for a more balanced use of social media (82 percent). In addition, 86 percent of young people think courses that help improve concentration and work habits in everyday school life are useful.

Although the majority of respondents (88 percent) think that a so-called social media consultation hour at school sounds "good," only 17 percent say that they would definitely use such a service. The rest see no need for themselves or are unsure whether they would actually use the service. According to the study, this reveals an "interesting tension" that can also be observed in other response distributions in the study. About the responses to the social media consultation hour, the study comments: "Although the majority of young people would like to see more lessons and projects on the responsible use of social media, significantly fewer see a need for support for themselves. This could indicate that media education is recognized as socially important – but that the need for personal action is underestimated or suppressed."

Differences by gender

The study repeatedly finds that young women assess their own online behavior as more problematic, or their lives as more stressful as a result, than young men do. At the same time, young women are also more likely to report that their parents are informed about what they do or see on social networks. This could indicate that young women are more likely to be made aware of undesirable or problematic behavior, have to reflect on it, and then be able to name it. This may be an effect of the different socialization of men and women in our society. However, the study did not examine such possible correlations, as the Vodafone Foundation confirmed upon inquiry. However, it does cite the results of other studies that have examined in more detail the purposes for which girls and boys tend to use social media: for example, a 2023 study showed "that girls use social media more often for emotional bonding, to confirm their appearance, and for social compensation. Boys, on the other hand, use social media more for competitive activities."

According to the Vodafone Foundation's youth study, the young people surveyed rated their well-being after using social media as worse than before if they were female, belonged to the older age group of 18 to 20, or were more highly educated. This could also indicate that a higher capacity for reflection or a heightened awareness of problems plays a role here. Such questions could be interesting for further studies.

(kbe)