Today’s teenagers are the first generation to grow up with constant online connectivity. As smartphones become more ingrained in their lives, what do we know about how they use them?
A new research report by academics at Stellenbosch University sheds light on this question by providing empirical evidence of how teenagers in South Africa use their smartphones at home and at school. Compiled by Drs Daniël le Roux from the Department of Information Science and Jennifer Feldman from the Department of Education Policy Studies, the report aims to advance our understanding of smartphones’ role in adolescents’ lives. It highlights key trends in smartphone ownership, usage frequency, social media engagement, and parental controls on screen time.
“Access to these statistics is important for the planning and implementing interventions that encourage and promote healthy smartphone habits among adolescents,” say the researchers.
They collaborated with five former Model C high schools to collect data on how adolescents use smartphones. They also surveyed parents, teachers, and school management teams regarding their attitudes towards smartphone use at home and in the classroom. In total, 2,195 adolescents, 2,264 parents, and 203 teachers participated in the project.
The researchers point out that almost all adolescents have smartphones. On average, they spend 197 minutes (3 hours and 17 minutes) per day on their phones, with girls using their phones more (219 minutes or 3 hours and 39 minutes) than boys (176 minutes or 2 hours and 56 minutes). Daily smartphone use increases with age, as teens in higher grades spend more time on their devices daily.
“WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are currently teens’ most popular social media platforms. Girls use social media more than boys, with over 12% reporting checking these platforms constantly.
“Boys, on the other hand, spend more time gaming on their phones (22,6 minutes per day) than girls (19,9 minutes per day). Boys also play more computer/console games (33,6 minutes per day on average) than girls (10,9 minutes per day on average).”
The researchers add they were surprised to find that, given the increase in smartphone use among teens in recent years, most parents do not limit or regulate the amount of time their children spend on their smartphones.
“Just under 60% of the adolescents indicated that their parents never limit their time on their phones. At the other end of the spectrum, 7% indicated that their screen time is always limited. Interestingly, boys’ screentime tends to be limited more frequently than those of girls.”
Regarding smartphone use at school, the researchers found that almost all adolescents take their phones to school every day (93%) or almost every day (5%), and only 0.6% of the adolescents indicated that they never take a phone to school.
“The main motivation for this is communicating with parents about after-school activities. Some schools also rely on mobile apps to share administrative information, making it difficult to implement blanket bans on phone use during school hours.
“While the data indicate that many teachers use smartphones as part of teaching and learning activities, most believe that phone use in class should only be allowed with the teacher’s permission.
“Not surprisingly, teens also use tools like ChatGPT and Meta AI to generate essays, orals, and artwork for school projects. There can be little doubt that this trend will rapidly spread in the coming years. It is critical that the implications for teens’ learning and cognitive development are studied and appropriate guidelines are developed to guide schools and parents.”
The researchers say they have already shared the report’s findings with the schools participating in the project. They note that because their study included only former Model C schools, the data does not necessarily represent South African teenagers attending schools in underserved and rural communities. While the researchers attempted to include these schools in the project, they could not secure their participation.
Given the current debate around regulating the use of smartphones in schools, the researchers say the challenge for parents, educators, and policymakers is to strike a balance between harnessing the educational benefits of smartphones and mitigating their potential negative effects.
They call for nuanced approaches to regulation – approaches that consider individual differences, the diverse ways smartphones are used, and the rapidly evolving nature of digital technology.
More high-quality, empirical studies are needed to guide future policy decisions and interventions, add the researchers. They are busy writing up their data and have not finalised plans for future work.
- Source: Le Roux, D & Feldman, J 2024. Smartphone use among South African Adolescents. Research Report. doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/KVXHD
