Without a doubt, social media is contributing more and more to our daily lifestyle. From our selfies on Instagram to our “artsy” snapchats of the sunset, teens using these sites are more in tact with technology than ever before. But the question then asked is should we be getting used to the extreme use of social media? In other words, is it normal for a sixteen year old to be posting what they’re eating for breakfast online, or to be obsessed with every action of the Kardashians? Is this in any way improving who they are? A study in 2012 suggested that 91% of teens post photos of themselves, whereas in 2006, 76% of teens would do so. Not only do teens post more photos of themselves, but they share more information about themselves, as well such as their birthdate, relationship status, where they live, the name of their town or school, hobbies, interests and the list continues.

The average time an OHS student spends on their phone using social media is 2.6 hours.

We initially began this survey thinking that the average OHS student spent well over 5 hours on his or her phone/social media. We were surprised to see that the average time was roughly half of what we had expected. In comparison to the study in 2012, the use of Facebook has risen by 3%, Twitter by 18%, and Instagram by 38%. This ultimately shows that teens are engaging with social media more and more everyday.