Teens are constantly getting notifications

The Future. Kids these days are getting simply too many notifications, according to a new study from Common Sense Media. The findings highlight how overly-connected teens are, not allowing for even a minute of unadulterated silence. In an act of true counter-culture, the barrage of home-screen banners may push people to join the nascent log-off movement… just so they can hear themselves think again.

Endless vibration
Teens may really be in need of a digital detox.

• The average kid in the US between the ages of 11 and 17 receives at least 237 notifications a day — mostly messages from friends or memes on socials — while some even receive an eye-watering 5,000 per day.
• Most get the bulk of notifications in the evening, with 5% even occurring after kids go to sleep (with 49% saying it sometimes keeps them up at night).
• The major issue with this onslaught of dings is each one starts acting as a dopamine hit for kids, which could lead to unhealthy habits.
• Case in point: 58% report they sometimes spend less time with friends so they can be on their phones, while 30% use their phones to avoid their feelings.

Additionally, the study tracked which apps teens spent the most time on. Unsurprisingly, TikTok and YouTube led the pack, with kids spending 38% and 18% of their day on the platforms.

What’s surprising, though, is Instagram and Snapchat (long seen as a Gen Z stronghold) are starting to shed teen engagement, with kids spending just 5.9% and 3.6% of their day on the app. No wonder Snap CEO Evan Spiegel is looking to gear the app more towards older users.