This infographic created by Teensafe provides a great visual of the changing focus on technology use. First of all it considers changes in teenagers social lives and the impact media has had. The use of the phone for example for talking is no longer its primary use. Today “talking is out and texting is in” with an average of 60 texts sent every day.

Social media has clearly made a big impact and for over a decade Facebook has dominated as the social space to be in. However according to the research from Piper Jaffray cited in the Washington Post teens are leaving Facebook and going to Instagram. Interestingly their report is no longer publicly available – possibly because the figures were disputed by Forrester Research who maintain Facebook still dominates teens’ social usage. But as with all surveys the results will vary dependant on the pool surveyed. The exact numbers are semantics, the truth is social media is in its many forms, a powerful communication tool and used by many. Communication is also no longer simply talk or text – images (and video) play a big part in the way teenagers and all users of social media convey information. The likes of Snapchat and Instagram have provided new spaces to share and exchange visual communication.

One to look out for is Yik Yak which is all about the content. This is an anonymous social media app which allows the user to share informational postings or “Yaks” with those in close proximity. Read more about Yik Yak – the rise of anonymous geo-social connectivity from Eric Stoller.

Source: http://www.teensafe.com/blog/true-facts-about-teens-and-media/