The survey, conducted by the digiQ organization, involved 586 respondents aged 10 to 18. 300 girls and 286 boys participated in the survey. The data collection was carried out in cooperation with an online lifestyle magazine for young people.
Teenagers are especially on Instagram
Instagram , a platform based mainly on visual content, is used by 98.8% of respondents. It is used to a similar extent by boys and girls. The survey did not record significant differences in usage between primary and secondary school students. “It turned out that almost all young people use Instagram on a daily basis and most teenagers use it for an hour to two a day, ” adds Andrea Cox, director of digiQ.
Teenager Michal also uses Instagram the most: “On average, I spend 3-4 hours there a day and I’m quite worried about it. I tried to set a time limit, but it didn’t work. I would like to uninstall Instagram, but I can’t because I also do work there.”
18-year-old Greta manages her time on Instagram better: “I set a limit of 30 minutes so that I don’t spend more time there than necessary. I also use WhatsApp and Messenger, but I don’t need a limit there.” She adds that she most often follows political events in Slovakia, news about climate change, and inspiration from aerial acrobatics on Instagram.
The video platform YouTube has been at the top of the global usage charts every year for almost two decades. It is also popular with Slovak teenagers. It ranked second in the survey with a usage rate of 96.9% . It is used most by high school-age boys.
“Our data shows that young people use YouTube differently than Instagram. While almost everyone used Instagram on a daily basis, YouTube is used by just under 40% of people . So it’s not a platform that they automatically open when they pick up their phone,” explains Cox.
Facebook no, Messenger yes
Messenger is an application from Meta that allows for quick communication via text messages. It was originally part of the social network Facebook, but was separated as a separate chat application in 2011. It is currently used by 83.3% of young people.
Although Messenger and Facebook are closely related and many users see the two platforms as one, teenagers see it differently. While Messenger ranked third in popularity, Facebook ranked seventh. Although 66.7% of respondents use it, the largest percentage of respondents only visit it once a month.
“Teenagers consider Facebook a social network for the older generation. On this platform, they are mainly distracted by politics and the many hateful comments. In interviews, they also mention that the interface of this platform is complicated for them and they cannot navigate it well. While Facebook somehow holds its position among high school students, elementary school students use it only minimally, ” adds the director of digiQ.
High school student Juliana explains that she feels lost on Facebook: “I really don’t go there very often. It’s hard to explain, but the network is a big mess for me, I often don’t even know where to click when I want to get to something. Plus, there’s too much politics and there’s a lot of hate.”
TikTok ended up in 5th place among young Slovaks, photo source: digiQ
Networks that are distant to older generations
In the survey, participants not only chose from selected platforms, but were also able to name those that were not on the list of expected ones. Many of them are particularly characteristic of their generation. Snapchat took fourth place in terms of popularity (77%), TikTok came in fifth (73.4%), and Discord took ninth place (50.2%).
“As adults, we should pay particularly close attention to these platforms. Our generation doesn’t use them, so parents are often unaware of their benefits, but especially the risks,” says Cox.
TikTok is also the most favorite platform for high school student Timotej: “I spend about 2-3 hours there a day. I mainly look for inspiration for outfits there.”
Psychologist Šárka Šuvadová adds that communication about social media between parent and child is essential. However, she recommends that parents not check their children’s phones without their knowledge, but consciously take an interest in their online world through regular conversations and questions about what they have experienced online and what they enjoy there.
Adults should also pay attention to networks they do not use themselves, photo source: digiQ
Results that surprised
“We regularly educate in schools and work with young people, so of course we knew that they use social networks. We also assumed which ones were most popular with them. However, this survey helped us to back up our assumptions with data. In addition to the expected results, we found, for example, that up to 13% of young people have an account on the Telegram platform , which is not safe. It is mainly used by boys, which is particularly risky. This platform is also known for containing content promoting toxic masculinity and misogynistic expressions,” concludes Andrea Cox.
Social networks don’t have to be a threat
Social networks are associated with various risks – from toxic communities and dangerous challenges, through problematic use or addiction to grooming and scammers. However, psychologist Šárka Šuvadová from digiQ adds that they should not be perceived only as a threat: “If we use social networks and platforms consciously and responsibly, they can be a catalyst for creativity, self-knowledge and self-expression, a means of helping society, but also the development of one’s sporting abilities or cognitive processes.”