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"Social media helps teens feel more connected to their friends’ feelings and daily lives, and also offers teens a place to receive support from others during challenging times."

Lenhart, A. (2015, August 06). Teens, Technology and Friendships. Retrieved September 23, 2017, from

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Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech

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Video games, social media and mobile phones play an integral role in how teens meet and interact with friends

This report explores the new contours of friendship in the digital age. It covers the results of a national survey of teens ages 13 to 17; throughout the report, the word "teens" refers to those in that age bracket, unless otherwise specified. The survey was conducted online from Sept. 25 through Oct. 9, 2014, and Feb. 10 through March 16, 2015, and 16 online and in-person focus groups with teens were conducted in April 2014 and November 2014.

For today's teens, friendships can start digitally: 57% of teens have met a new friend online. Social media and online gameplay are the most common digital venues for meeting friends

For American teens, making friends isn't just confined to the school yard, playing field or neighborhood - many are making new friends online. Fully 57% of teens ages 13 to 17 have made a new friend online, with 29% of teens indicating that they have made more than five new friends in online venues. Most of these friendships stay in the digital space; only 20% of all teens have met an online friend in person.

Boys are more likely than girls to make online friends: 61% of boys compared to 52% of girls have done so.

Older teens are also more likely than younger teens to make online friends. Some 60% of teens ages 15 to 17 have met a friend online, compared with 51% of 13- to 14-year-olds.

The most common spots for meeting friends online are social media sites like Facebook or Instagram (64% of teens who have made a friend online met someone via social media), followed by playing networked video games (36%). Girls who have met new friends online are more likely to meet them via social media (78% vs. 52% of boys), while boys are substantially more likely to meet new friends while playing games online (57% vs. 13% of girls).

Text messaging is a key component of day-to-day friend interactions: 55% of teens spend time every day texting with friends

The vast majority of teens (95%) spend time with their friends outside of school, in person, at least occasionally. But for most teens, this is not an everyday occurrence. Just 25% of teens spend time with friends in person (outside of school) on a daily basis.

For many teens, texting is the dominant way that they communicate on a day-to-day basis with their friends. Some 88% of teens text their friends at least occasionally, and fully 55% do so daily. Along with texting, teens are incorporating a number of other devices, communication platforms and online venues into their interactions with friends, including:

Instant messaging: 79% of all teens instant message their friends; 27% do so daily.

Social media: 72% of all teens spend time with friends via social media; 23% do so daily.

Email: 64% of all teens use email with friends; 6% do so daily.

Video chat: 59% of all teens video chat with their friends; 7% video chat with friends daily.

Video games: 52% of all teens spend time with friends playing video games; 13% play with friends daily.

Messaging apps: 42% of all teens spend time with friends on messaging apps such as Kik and WhatsApp; 14% do so every day.

Video games play a critical role in the development and maintenance of boys' friendships

Overall, 72% of teens ages 13 to 17 play video games on a computer, game console or portable device. Fully 84% of boys play video games, significantly higher than the 59% of girls who play games. Playing video games is not necessarily a solitary activity; teens frequently play video games with others. Teen gamers play games with others in person (83%) and online (75%), and they play games with friends they know in person (89%) and friends they know only online (54%). They also play online with others who are not friends (52%). With so much game-playing with other people, video gameplay, particularly over online networks, is an important activity through which boys form and maintain friendships with others:

Much more than for girls, boys use video games as a way to spend time and engage in day-to-day interactions with their peers and friends. These interactions occur in face-to-face settings, as well as in networked gaming environments:

16% of boy gamers play in person with friends on a daily or near-daily basis, and an additional 35% do so weekly. That amounts to 42% of all teen boys ages 13 to 17.

34% of boy gamers play over the internet with friends on a daily or near-daily basis, and another 33% do so weekly. That amounts to 55% of all teen boys ages 13 to 17.

When playing games with others online, many teen gamers (especially boys) connect with their fellow players via voice connections in order to engage in collaboration, conversation and trash-talking. Among boys who play games with others online, fully 71% use voice connections to engage with other players (this compares with just 28% of girls who play in networked environments).

All this playing, hanging out and talking while playing games leads many teens to feel closer to friends.

78% of teen online gamers say when they play games online it makes them feel more connected to friends they already know. That amounts to 42% of all teens ages 13 to 17.

52% of online-gaming teens feel more connected to other gamers (whom they do not consider friends) they play with online. That amounts to 28% of all teens ages 13 to 17.

Gaming boys are more likely than girls to report feeling more connected to other networked gamers.

84% of networked-gaming boys feel more connected to friends when they play online, compared with 62% of girls.

56% of boy gamers feel more connected to people they play networked games with who are not friends, as do 43% of gaming girls.

Teen friendships are strengthened and challenged within social media environments

Social media also plays a critical role in introducing teens to new friends and connecting them to their existing friend networks. Some 76% of teens ages 13 to 17 use social media and:

Social media helps teens feel more connected to their friends' feelings and daily lives, and also offers teens a place to receive support from others during challenging times.

83% of teen social media users say social media makes them feel more connected to information about their friends' lives.

70% of social media-using teens feel better connected to their friends' feelings through social media.

68% of teen social media users have had people on the platforms supporting them through tough or challenging times.

But even as social media connects teens to friends' feelings and experiences, the sharing that occurs on these platforms can have negative consequences. Sharing can veer into oversharing. Teens can learn about events and activities to which they weren't invited, and the highly curated lives of teens' social media connections can lead them to make negative comparisons with their own lives:

88% of teen social media users believe people share too much information about themselves on social media.

53% of social media-using teens have seen people posting to social media about events to which they were not invited.

42% of social media-using teens have had someone post things on social media about them that they cannot change or control.

21% of teen social media users report feeling worse about their own life because of what they see from other friends on social media.

Teens face challenges trying to construct an appropriate and authentic online persona for multiple audiences, including adults and peers. Consequently, many teens feel obligated to project an attractive and popular image through their social media postings.

40% of teen social media users report feeling pressure to post only content that makes them look good to others.

39% of teens on social media say they feel pressure to post content that will be popular and get lots of comments or likes.

Some conflict teens experience is instigated online

Girls are more likely to unfriend, unfollow and block former friends

When friendships end, many teens take steps to cut the digital web that connects them to their former friend. Girls who use social media or cellphones are more likely to prune old content and connections:

58% of teens who use social media or cellphones have unfriended or unfollowed someone they used to be friends with, and 45% of teens have blocked an ex-friend.

63% of girls who use social media or cellphones have unfriended or unfollowed an ex-friend, compared with 53% of boys.

53% of social media- or cellphone-using girls have blocked someone after ending a friendship, compared with 37% of boys.

Teens spend time with their closest friends in a range of venues. Texting plays a crucial role in helping close friends stay in touch

Along with examining the general ways in which teens interact and communicate with their friends, this report documents how and where teens interact with the friends who are closest to them. These "close friend" relationships loom large in the day-to-day social activities of teens' lives, as 59% of teens are in touch with their closest friend on a daily basis (with 41% indicating that they get in touch "many times a day").

School is the primary place teens interact with their closest friends. However, these best-friend interactions occur across a wide range of online and offline venues:

83% of teens spend time with their closest friend at school.

58% spend time with their closest friend at someone's house.

55% spend time with their closest friend online (such as on social media sites or gaming sites or servers).

Teens also use a wide range of communication tools to get in touch with their closest friend.

49% of teens say text messaging (including on messaging apps) is their first choice of platform for communicating with their closest friend.

20% say social media is their first-choice communication tool when talking with their closest friend.

13% say phone calls are the method they would choose first to talk with their closest friend.

6% say video games are their first-choice platform for talking with their closest friend.

Teens who live in lower-income households are more likely than higher-income teens to say they use social media to get in touch with their closest friend. Lower-income teens, from households earning less than $30,000 annually, are nearly evenly split in how they get in touch with these friends, with 33% saying social media is the most common way they do so and 35% saying texting is their preferred communication method. Higher-income teens from families earning $30,000 or more per year are most likely to report texting as their preferred mode when communicating with their closest friend. Modestly lower levels of smartphone and basic phone use among lower-income teens may be driving some in this group to connect with their friends using platforms or methods accessible on desktop computers.

Smartphone users have different practices for communicating with close friends

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of teens have access to a smartphone, and smartphone-using teens have different practices for communicating with close friends. Teens with smartphones rely more heavily on texting, while teens without smartphones are more likely to say social media and phone calls are preferred modes for reaching their closest friend.

Girls are more likely to use text messaging - while boys are more likely to use video games - as conduits for conversations with friends

Compared with boys, girls tend to communicate more often with friends via texting and instant messaging:

62% of girls spend time with friends every day via text messaging, compared with 48% of boys.

32% of girls spend time with friends every day using instant messaging, compared with 23% of boys.

On the other hand, boys are much more likely than girls to interact and spend time with friends while playing video games:

74% of teen boys talk with friends while playing video games together, while 31% of girls report the same.

22% of boys talk daily with friends while playing video games, compared with just 3% of girls.

Phone calls are less common early in a friendship, but are an important way that teens talk with their closest friends

Some 85% of teens say they spend time with friends by calling them on the phone, and 19% do so every day. The perceived intimacy of the phone call as a communication choice means teens are less likely to use it immediately upon meeting a new friend, but they often prefer it when talking to close friends.

About half of teens (52%) indicate that a phone number for calling is one of the first three things they would share with a new friend, but just 9% indicate that this is the first thing they would share.

And when teens want to talk to their closest friend, phone calls are the second most popular method overall, with 69% of teens citing phone calls as one of their three choices.

84% of black teens say phone calls are one of the three most common methods they use to get in touch with close friends, compared with 69% of whites and 63% of Hispanic teens.

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Video games, social media and mobile phones play an integral role in how teens meet and interact with friends This report explores the new contours of friendship in the digital age. It covers the results of a national survey of teens ages 13 to 17; throughout the report, the word "teens" refers to those in that age bracket, unless otherwise specified.

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"94% of parents say they have ever talked with their teen about what is appropriate for them to share online, with 40% doing so frequently."

Anderson, M. (2016, January 07). Parents, Teens and Digital Monitoring. Retrieved September 25, 2017, from

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Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech

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Parents monitor their teen's digital behavior in a number of ways, but using technical means like parental controls is less common

The widespread adoption of various digital technologies by today's teenagers has added a modern wrinkle to a universal challenge of parenthood - specifically, striking a balance between allowing independent exploration and providing an appropriate level of parental oversight. Digital connectivity offers many potential benefits from connecting with peers to accessing educational content. But parents have also voiced concerns about the behaviors teens engage in online, the people with whom they interact and the personal information they make available. Indeed, these concerns are not limited to parents. Lawmakers and advocates have raised concerns about issues such as online safety, cyberbullying and privacy issues affecting teens.

A Pew Research Center survey of parents of 13- to 17-year-olds finds that today's parents take a wide range of actions to monitor their teen's online lives and to encourage their child to use technology in an appropriate and responsible manner.

Moreover, digital technology has become so central to teens' lives that a significant share of parents now employ a new tool to enforce family rules: "digitally grounding" misbehaving kids. Some 65% of parents have taken their teen's cellphone or internet privileges away as a punishment.

But restrictions to screen time are not always consequences of bad behavior, parents often have rules in place about how often and when their teen can go online. Some 55% of parents say they limit the amount of time or times of day their teen can be online.

When it comes to monitoring their child's digital use and interactions, parents tend to take a hands-on approach to monitoring what their children do:

In addition, nearly half (48%) of parents know the password to their teen's email account, while 43% know the password to their teen's cellphone and 35% know the password to at least one of their teen's social media accounts.

But even as parents use a number of these hands-on methods to monitor their teen, they are relatively less likely to use technology-based tools to monitor, block or track their teen. This is a consistent pattern that has also emerged in previous Pew Research Center surveys of technology use by parents and teens. For instance, the new survey results show:

In addition to taking a range of steps to check up on their teen's online behavior, the vast majority of parents also try to take a proactive approach to preventing problems by speaking with their teen about what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable online behavior. Specifically:

A note about the findings in this survey

These findings are based on a national survey of parents of teens ages 13 to 17, conducted Sept. 25-Oct. 9, 2014, and Feb. 10-March 16, 2015. One parent and one teenage child participated in each survey. If a parent had more than one child in the specified age range, one teen in the household was randomly selected for the survey. The data in this report about parenting behavior pertain specifically to parenting behavior towards the specific teen who also completed the survey.

This report differs from Pew Research Center surveys of parents and technology conducted prior to 2014 in that this survey was administered using an online panel to a nationally representative cohort of teens. Pre-2014 surveys of teens and technology were conducted via telephone, cellphones as well as landlines. Due to differences in modes, figures presented in this report will not be directly compared to Pew Research Center studies of teens conducted prior to 2014.

At the same time, there are a number of broad trends that resonate in both our current and previous work. As in past Pew Research Center studies, this research finds that a majority of parents report discussing acceptable online behavior with their teen as well as checking up on what websites their teen visits. Meanwhile, the share of parents who use more technologically oriented methods, like parental monitoring software, to monitor their teen's digital life continues to remain comparatively low.

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Parents monitor their teen's digital behavior in a number of ways, but using technical means like parental controls is less common The widespread adoption of various digital technologies by today's teenagers has added a modern wrinkle to a universal challenge of parenthood - specifically, striking a balance between allowing independent exploration and providing an appropriate level of parental oversight.

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Teens, Technology, and Romantic Relationships

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Teens, Technology, and Romantic Relationships

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"Girls are especially likely to support friends’ relationships on social media: 71% of girls with dating experience have done so, compared with 57% of boys."

Lenhart, A., Anderson, M., & Smith, A. (2015, October 01). Teens, Technology and Romantic Relationships. Retrieved September 25, 2017, from

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Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech

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From flirting to breaking up, social media and mobile phones are woven into teens' romantic lives

Adolescence is a time of incredibly physical, social and emotional growth, and peer relationships - especially romantic ones - are a major social focus for many youth. Understanding the role social and digital media play in these romantic relationships is critical, given how deeply enmeshed these technology tools are in lives of American youth and how rapidly these platforms and devices change.

This study reveals that the digital realm is one part of a broader universe in which teens meet, date and break up with romantic partners. Online spaces are used infrequently for meeting romantic partners, but play a major role in how teens flirt, woo and communicate with potential and current flames.

This report examines American teens' digital romantic practices. It covers the results of a national Pew Research Center survey of teens ages 13 to 17; throughout the report, the word "teens" refers to those in that age bracket, unless otherwise specified. The survey was conducted online from Sept. 25 through Oct. 9, 2014, and Feb. 10 through March 16, 2015; 16 online and in-person focus groups with teens were conducted in April 2014 and November 2014. The main findings from this research include:

Relatively few American teens have met a romantic partner online

Overall, 35% of American teens ages 13 to 17 have ever dated, hooked up with or been otherwise romantically involved with another person, and 18% are currently in a romantic relationship. Though 57% of teens have begun friendships in a digital space, teens are far less likely to have embarked on a romantic relationship that started online. A majority of teens with dating experience (76%) say they have only dated people they met via offline methods. One-quarter (24%) of teen "daters" or roughly 8% of all teens have dated or hooked up with someone they first met online. Of those who have met a partner online, the majority met on social media sites, and the bulk of them met on Facebook.

Social media is a top venue for flirting

While most teen romantic relationships do not start online, technology is a major vehicle for flirting and expressing interest in a potential partner. Along with in-person flirting, teens often use social media to like, comment, "friend" or joke around with someone on whom they have a crush. Among all teens:

Digital flirting has "entry-level" and more sophisticated elements for teens, depending on the nature of the relationship and their experience with virtual flirting strategies

Each of the flirting behaviors measured in the survey is more common among teens with previous dating experience than among those who have never dated before. But while some of these behaviors are at least relatively common among dating neophytes, others are almost entirely engaged in by teens with prior relationship experience.

When it comes to "entry-level" flirting, teens who have never been in a romantic relationship are most comfortable letting someone know that they are interested in them romantically using the following approaches:

Flirting or talking to them in person: 39% of teens without dating experience have done this.

Friending them or taking part in general interactions on social media: Roughly one-third (37%) of teens without dating experience have friended someone they are interested in romantically and a similar 34% have liked, commented on a post or otherwise interacted with a crush on social media.

Sharing funny or interesting things with them online. Some 31% of teens without dating experience have done this.

On the other hand, more advanced and sometimes overtly sexually suggestive online behaviors are most often exhibited by teens who have prior experience in romantic relationships:

Girls are more likely to be targets of uncomfortable flirting tactics

Not all flirting behavior is appreciated or appropriate. One-quarter (25%) of all teens have unfriended or blocked someone on social media because that person was flirting in a way that made them uncomfortable.

Just as adult women are often subject to more frequent and intense harassment online, teen girls are substantially more likely than boys to experience uncomfortable flirting within social media environments. Fully 35% of all teen girls have had to block or unfriend someone who was flirting in a way that made them uncomfortable, double the 16% of boys who have taken this step.

Social media helps teen daters to feel closer to their romantic partner, but also feeds jealousy and uncertainty

Many teens in relationships view social media as a place where they can feel more connected with the daily events in their significant other's life, share emotional connections, and let their significant other know they care. At the same time, teens' use of social media sites can also lead to feelings of jealousy or uncertainty about the stability of their relationships. However, even teens who indicate that social media has played a role in their relationship (whether for good or for bad) tend to feel that its role is relatively modest in the grand scheme of things.

Among teen social media users with relationship experience (30% of the overall population of those ages 13 to 17):

59% say social media makes them feel more connected to what's happening in their significant other's life; 15% indicate that it makes them feel "a lot" more connected.

47% say social media offers a place for them to show how much they care about their significant other; 12% feel this way "a lot."

44% say social media helps them feel emotionally closer to their significant other, with 10% feeling that way "a lot."

27% say social media makes them feel jealous or unsure about their relationship, with 7% feeling this way "a lot."

Boys are a bit more likely than girls to view social media as a space for emotional and logistical connection with their significant other

Among teens ages 13 to 17 who use social media and have some relationship experience:

65% of boys say social media makes them feel more connected with what's happening in their significant other's life (compared with 52% of girls). Some 16% of these boys report that these platforms make them feel "a lot" more connected.

50% of boys say social media makes them feel more emotionally connected with their significant other (compared with 37% of girls). Some 13% of boys feel "a lot" more emotionally close.

Teen daters like being able to publicly demonstrate their affection and show support for others' romantic relationships. Yet they also find it allows too many people to be involved in their personal business

For some teens, social media is a space where they can display their relationship to others by publicly expressing their affection on the platform. More than a third (37%) of teens with relationship experience (also called "teen daters" throughout this report) have used social media to let their partner know how much they like them in a way that was visible to other people in their network. As noted above, teen daters say social media makes them feel like they have a place to show how much they care about their boyfriend, girlfriend or significant other. A bit less than half of teens (47%) say they feel this way about social media.

Teens also use social media to express public support or approval of others' romantic relationships. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of teens with dating experience have posted or liked something on social media as a way to indicate their support of one of their friends' relationships. Girls are especially likely to support friends' relationships on social media: 71% of girls with dating experience have done so, compared with 57% of boys.

But even as they use social media to show affection, display their relationships and support their friends' relationships, many teen daters also express annoyance at the public nature of their own romantic partnerships on social media. Some 69% of teen social media users with dating experience agree that too many people can see what's happening in their relationship on social media; 16% of this group "strongly" agrees.

Many teens in romantic relationships expect daily communication with their significant other

Most teens in romantic relationships assume that they and their partner will check in with each other with great regularity throughout the day.

When asked about their partner's expectations for their own communication, a similar pattern emerges.

88% of teens in romantic relationships say their partner expects to hear from them at least once a day.

15% say they are expected to check in hourly.

38% are expected to do so every few hours.

35% are expected to do so once a day.

Texting, voice calls and in-person hanging out are the main ways teens spend time with their significant others

When it comes to spending time with a significant other, teens say texting is the top method, but phone calling and in-person time mix with other digital means for staying in touch. Asked how often they spent time with their current or former boyfriend, girlfriend or significant other on particular platforms, teen daters told us they use:

Text messaging - 92% of teens with romantic relationship experience have spent time text messaging with their partner at least occasionally.

Talking on the phone - 87% have spent time talking on the phone with their significant other.

Being together in person - 86% have spent time together in person, outside of school hours.

Social media - 70% have spent time together posting on social media sites.

Instant or online messaging - 69% have spent time with their significant other using instant or online messaging.

Video chat - 55% say they have spent time with their partner video chatting.

Messaging apps - 49% have used messaging apps to stay connected to their partner.

Email - 37% have used email to spend time with a significant other.

Talk while playing video games - 31% talk with their partner while playing video games together.

Teens consider the text message breakup to be socially undesirable, but a sizeable number of teens with relationship experience have been broken up with - or have broken up with others - using text messaging

The most socially acceptable way to break up with someone is by having an in-person conversation, and these conversations are the most common way that breakups occur in a "real-world" setting. While most teens rate an in-person talk as the most acceptable way to break up with someone, some 62% of teens with relationship experience have broken up with someone in person, and 47% have been broken up with through an in-person discussion.

Text messaging - which is widely viewed as one of the least acceptable ways of breaking up with someone - is more common in the context of actual relationships than its perceived acceptability might indicate. Some 27% of teens with relationship experience have broken up with someone via text message, 31% have been broken up with in this way.

Phone calls, which are seen as the second-most acceptable way of breaking up with someone, are just as common as a breakup text; 29% of teens with relationship experience have broken up with someone over the phone, and 27% have been broken up with in this way.

And breakups through social media (which, like texts, are also viewed as having low levels of acceptability) are also relatively common - 18% of teens with dating experience have experienced or initiated a breakup by sending a private social media message, changing their relationship status on Facebook or posting a status update.

Relatively small numbers of teen daters engage in potentially controlling or harmful digital behavior to a partner or ex-partner

Dating isn't always a positive experience for youth, in person or digitally. In this study, we asked teen daters about a number of things they might have done online or with a phone to someone they were dating or used to date. These behaviors fall on a spectrum of seriousness, from potentially innocuous to troubling. And most of these activities are highly dependent on context - as one person's cute is another person's creepy.

11% of teen daters have accessed a mobile or online account of current or former partner.

10% have modified or deleted their partner's or ex-partner's social media profile.

10% have impersonated a boyfriend, girlfriend or ex in a message.

8% of teens have sent embarrassing pictures of a current or former partner to someone else.

4% have downloaded a GPS or tracking program to a partners' device without their knowledge.

A small share of teen daters have experienced potentially abusive or controlling behavior by a current or former partner

Beyond perpetrating potentially inappropriate or harmful behavior, teen daters also can be the recipients of -possibly more serious - controlling or potentially abusive experiences at the hands of significant others. These questions ask about nine experiences and whether they occur during a relationship and/or after a relationship ends. And like the practices our survey respondents told us they engaged in above, these behaviors and experiences are in some cases dependent on context of the interaction.

During a relationship teens are most likely to experience:

31% of teens with dating experience report that a current or former partner has checked up on them multiple times per day on the internet or cellphone, asking where they were, who they were with or what they were doing.

26% of teen daters report that their partner checked up on them during their relationship.

5% of teen daters report that a former partner checked up on them multiple times per day after their relationship ended.

21% of teen daters report that a current or former boyfriend, girlfriend or partner has read their text messages without permission.

18% of teen daters report such an experience during the course of their relationship.

3% report that a partner read their texts without permission after their relationship had ended.

15% of teen daters (or 5% of all teens) say a current or former partner used the internet or text messaging to pressure them to engage in sexual activity they did not want to have.

10% of teen daters report that this happened during a relationship.

5% report that a former partner did this to them after a relationship ended.

Potentially controlling and harmful behaviors teens experience both during and after a relationship with similar frequency:

16% of teen daters have been required by a current or former partner to remove former girlfriends or boyfriends from their friends list on Facebook, Twitter or other social media.
10% of teens experience this during their relationship; 7% experience it after a breakup.

13% of teens with dating experience report that their current or former partner demanded that they share their passwords to email and internet accounts with them.
And teens are about equally as likely to experience this during a relationship (7%) as after a relationship ends (5%).

11% of teens with relationship experience report that a current or former partner has contacted them on the internet or on their cellphone to threaten to hurt them.

8% of teens with dating experience have been threatened digitally by an ex.

4% experienced this during a relationship.

8% of teen daters report that a current or ex-partner used information posted on the internet against them, to harass or embarrass them.
4% had this happen during a relationship, and another 4% have experienced this after the relationship ended.

After a relationship ends, teens are more likely to experience:

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Teens, Technology and Romantic Relationships

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From flirting to breaking up, social media and mobile phones are woven into teens' romantic lives Adolescence is a time of incredibly physical, social and emotional growth, and peer relationships - especially romantic ones - are a major social focus for many youth.

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"Teens who live in lower-income households are more likely than higher-income teens to say they use social media to get in touch with their closest friend."

Lenhart, A. (2015, August 06). Teens, Technology and Friendships. Retrieved September 23, 2017, from

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Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech

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Video games, social media and mobile phones play an integral role in how teens meet and interact with friends

This report explores the new contours of friendship in the digital age. It covers the results of a national survey of teens ages 13 to 17; throughout the report, the word "teens" refers to those in that age bracket, unless otherwise specified. The survey was conducted online from Sept. 25 through Oct. 9, 2014, and Feb. 10 through March 16, 2015, and 16 online and in-person focus groups with teens were conducted in April 2014 and November 2014.

For today's teens, friendships can start digitally: 57% of teens have met a new friend online. Social media and online gameplay are the most common digital venues for meeting friends

For American teens, making friends isn't just confined to the school yard, playing field or neighborhood - many are making new friends online. Fully 57% of teens ages 13 to 17 have made a new friend online, with 29% of teens indicating that they have made more than five new friends in online venues. Most of these friendships stay in the digital space; only 20% of all teens have met an online friend in person.

Boys are more likely than girls to make online friends: 61% of boys compared to 52% of girls have done so.

Older teens are also more likely than younger teens to make online friends. Some 60% of teens ages 15 to 17 have met a friend online, compared with 51% of 13- to 14-year-olds.

The most common spots for meeting friends online are social media sites like Facebook or Instagram (64% of teens who have made a friend online met someone via social media), followed by playing networked video games (36%). Girls who have met new friends online are more likely to meet them via social media (78% vs. 52% of boys), while boys are substantially more likely to meet new friends while playing games online (57% vs. 13% of girls).

Text messaging is a key component of day-to-day friend interactions: 55% of teens spend time every day texting with friends

The vast majority of teens (95%) spend time with their friends outside of school, in person, at least occasionally. But for most teens, this is not an everyday occurrence. Just 25% of teens spend time with friends in person (outside of school) on a daily basis.

For many teens, texting is the dominant way that they communicate on a day-to-day basis with their friends. Some 88% of teens text their friends at least occasionally, and fully 55% do so daily. Along with texting, teens are incorporating a number of other devices, communication platforms and online venues into their interactions with friends, including:

Instant messaging: 79% of all teens instant message their friends; 27% do so daily.

Social media: 72% of all teens spend time with friends via social media; 23% do so daily.

Email: 64% of all teens use email with friends; 6% do so daily.

Video chat: 59% of all teens video chat with their friends; 7% video chat with friends daily.

Video games: 52% of all teens spend time with friends playing video games; 13% play with friends daily.

Messaging apps: 42% of all teens spend time with friends on messaging apps such as Kik and WhatsApp; 14% do so every day.

Video games play a critical role in the development and maintenance of boys' friendships

Overall, 72% of teens ages 13 to 17 play video games on a computer, game console or portable device. Fully 84% of boys play video games, significantly higher than the 59% of girls who play games. Playing video games is not necessarily a solitary activity; teens frequently play video games with others. Teen gamers play games with others in person (83%) and online (75%), and they play games with friends they know in person (89%) and friends they know only online (54%). They also play online with others who are not friends (52%). With so much game-playing with other people, video gameplay, particularly over online networks, is an important activity through which boys form and maintain friendships with others:

Much more than for girls, boys use video games as a way to spend time and engage in day-to-day interactions with their peers and friends. These interactions occur in face-to-face settings, as well as in networked gaming environments:

16% of boy gamers play in person with friends on a daily or near-daily basis, and an additional 35% do so weekly. That amounts to 42% of all teen boys ages 13 to 17.

34% of boy gamers play over the internet with friends on a daily or near-daily basis, and another 33% do so weekly. That amounts to 55% of all teen boys ages 13 to 17.

When playing games with others online, many teen gamers (especially boys) connect with their fellow players via voice connections in order to engage in collaboration, conversation and trash-talking. Among boys who play games with others online, fully 71% use voice connections to engage with other players (this compares with just 28% of girls who play in networked environments).

All this playing, hanging out and talking while playing games leads many teens to feel closer to friends.

78% of teen online gamers say when they play games online it makes them feel more connected to friends they already know. That amounts to 42% of all teens ages 13 to 17.

52% of online-gaming teens feel more connected to other gamers (whom they do not consider friends) they play with online. That amounts to 28% of all teens ages 13 to 17.

Gaming boys are more likely than girls to report feeling more connected to other networked gamers.

84% of networked-gaming boys feel more connected to friends when they play online, compared with 62% of girls.

56% of boy gamers feel more connected to people they play networked games with who are not friends, as do 43% of gaming girls.

Teen friendships are strengthened and challenged within social media environments

Social media also plays a critical role in introducing teens to new friends and connecting them to their existing friend networks. Some 76% of teens ages 13 to 17 use social media and:

Social media helps teens feel more connected to their friends' feelings and daily lives, and also offers teens a place to receive support from others during challenging times.

83% of teen social media users say social media makes them feel more connected to information about their friends' lives.

70% of social media-using teens feel better connected to their friends' feelings through social media.

68% of teen social media users have had people on the platforms supporting them through tough or challenging times.

But even as social media connects teens to friends' feelings and experiences, the sharing that occurs on these platforms can have negative consequences. Sharing can veer into oversharing. Teens can learn about events and activities to which they weren't invited, and the highly curated lives of teens' social media connections can lead them to make negative comparisons with their own lives:

88% of teen social media users believe people share too much information about themselves on social media.

53% of social media-using teens have seen people posting to social media about events to which they were not invited.

42% of social media-using teens have had someone post things on social media about them that they cannot change or control.

21% of teen social media users report feeling worse about their own life because of what they see from other friends on social media.

Teens face challenges trying to construct an appropriate and authentic online persona for multiple audiences, including adults and peers. Consequently, many teens feel obligated to project an attractive and popular image through their social media postings.

40% of teen social media users report feeling pressure to post only content that makes them look good to others.

39% of teens on social media say they feel pressure to post content that will be popular and get lots of comments or likes.

Some conflict teens experience is instigated online

Girls are more likely to unfriend, unfollow and block former friends

When friendships end, many teens take steps to cut the digital web that connects them to their former friend. Girls who use social media or cellphones are more likely to prune old content and connections:

58% of teens who use social media or cellphones have unfriended or unfollowed someone they used to be friends with, and 45% of teens have blocked an ex-friend.

63% of girls who use social media or cellphones have unfriended or unfollowed an ex-friend, compared with 53% of boys.

53% of social media- or cellphone-using girls have blocked someone after ending a friendship, compared with 37% of boys.

Teens spend time with their closest friends in a range of venues. Texting plays a crucial role in helping close friends stay in touch

Along with examining the general ways in which teens interact and communicate with their friends, this report documents how and where teens interact with the friends who are closest to them. These "close friend" relationships loom large in the day-to-day social activities of teens' lives, as 59% of teens are in touch with their closest friend on a daily basis (with 41% indicating that they get in touch "many times a day").

School is the primary place teens interact with their closest friends. However, these best-friend interactions occur across a wide range of online and offline venues:

83% of teens spend time with their closest friend at school.

58% spend time with their closest friend at someone's house.

55% spend time with their closest friend online (such as on social media sites or gaming sites or servers).

Teens also use a wide range of communication tools to get in touch with their closest friend.

49% of teens say text messaging (including on messaging apps) is their first choice of platform for communicating with their closest friend.

20% say social media is their first-choice communication tool when talking with their closest friend.

13% say phone calls are the method they would choose first to talk with their closest friend.

6% say video games are their first-choice platform for talking with their closest friend.

Teens who live in lower-income households are more likely than higher-income teens to say they use social media to get in touch with their closest friend. Lower-income teens, from households earning less than $30,000 annually, are nearly evenly split in how they get in touch with these friends, with 33% saying social media is the most common way they do so and 35% saying texting is their preferred communication method. Higher-income teens from families earning $30,000 or more per year are most likely to report texting as their preferred mode when communicating with their closest friend. Modestly lower levels of smartphone and basic phone use among lower-income teens may be driving some in this group to connect with their friends using platforms or methods accessible on desktop computers.

Smartphone users have different practices for communicating with close friends

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of teens have access to a smartphone, and smartphone-using teens have different practices for communicating with close friends. Teens with smartphones rely more heavily on texting, while teens without smartphones are more likely to say social media and phone calls are preferred modes for reaching their closest friend.

Girls are more likely to use text messaging - while boys are more likely to use video games - as conduits for conversations with friends

Compared with boys, girls tend to communicate more often with friends via texting and instant messaging:

62% of girls spend time with friends every day via text messaging, compared with 48% of boys.

32% of girls spend time with friends every day using instant messaging, compared with 23% of boys.

On the other hand, boys are much more likely than girls to interact and spend time with friends while playing video games:

74% of teen boys talk with friends while playing video games together, while 31% of girls report the same.

22% of boys talk daily with friends while playing video games, compared with just 3% of girls.

Phone calls are less common early in a friendship, but are an important way that teens talk with their closest friends

Some 85% of teens say they spend time with friends by calling them on the phone, and 19% do so every day. The perceived intimacy of the phone call as a communication choice means teens are less likely to use it immediately upon meeting a new friend, but they often prefer it when talking to close friends.

About half of teens (52%) indicate that a phone number for calling is one of the first three things they would share with a new friend, but just 9% indicate that this is the first thing they would share.

And when teens want to talk to their closest friend, phone calls are the second most popular method overall, with 69% of teens citing phone calls as one of their three choices.

84% of black teens say phone calls are one of the three most common methods they use to get in touch with close friends, compared with 69% of whites and 63% of Hispanic teens.

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Video games, social media and mobile phones play an integral role in how teens meet and interact with friends This report explores the new contours of friendship in the digital age. It covers the results of a national survey of teens ages 13 to 17; throughout the report, the word "teens" refers to those in that age bracket, unless otherwise specified.

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"As true fans know, the books are better."

Within the Harry Potter fandom, anyone who questions the superiority of the books over the movies is immediately dubbed a "fake fan."

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We Know What You Hate About The "Harry Potter" Movie Adaptations

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As true fans know, the books are better.

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Once Harry Potter fans have read the books AND watched the movies AND devoured every fan theory they could possibly find, many turn to reading or writing fan-fiction. This is a good outlet for many fandom members "because the magic never has to end."

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Word count: 563,028

Rating: R

Author Summary: "Who would expect that sharing a simple kiss with his best friend was all it needed to begin a journey far beyond his greatest imagination? Soul-bond fic."

"Probably one of the best 'soul-bond' Harry Potter fics I've ever read." - Jessica Herbert, Facebook

Word count: 121,492

Rating: PG-13

Author Summary: "Nine years after graduating from Hogwarts, Charms fellow Hermione Granger again finds herself caught up in Harry Potter's mysterious life."

-Gregg N Crystal Conrad, Facebook

Word count: 99,937

Rating: R (Graphic Violence, Child Abuse)

Author Summary: "In an alternate universe where Sirius Black never went to Azkaban, Harry divides his life between the Dursleys' house and Mr. Black's bookshop -- until Sirius realises what the Dursleys are doing to him, and takes him away from their care."

- Cara Liebowitz, Facebook

Word count: 661,619

Rating: PG-13

Author Summary: "Petunia married a biochemist, and Harry grew up reading science and science fiction. Then came the Hogwarts letter, and a world of intriguing new possibilities to exploit. And new friends, like Hermione Granger, and Professor McGonagall, and Professor Quirrell."

"It is like actually getting to go back to Hogwarts for the very first time, and getting to bring your intelligence along!" - alyssb

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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21 "Harry Potter" Fanfictions To Read Before You Die

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Word count: 563,028 Rating: R Author Summary: "Who would expect that sharing a simple kiss with his best friend was all it needed to begin a journey far beyond his greatest imagination? Soul-bond fic." "Probably one of the best 'soul-bond' Harry Potter fics I've ever read."

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Are you really a Harry Potter fan if you can't prove it with all of the latest, trendy little trinkets?

"What did the credit card say after seeing these products? Swish and flick."

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Charlotte Gomez / BuzzFeed

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.

4. A set of Hogwarts classics, which includes Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

27. Pub spoons that are a staple for any Harry Potter home.

Your face when you realize you want everything on this list.

Want even more great product suggestions? Sign up for BuzzFeed's Gift Guide Newsletter!

If you can't see the signup box above, just go here to sign up for the BuzzFeed Gift Guide newsletter!

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35 Gifts For Anyone Who Likes "Harry Potter" More Than People

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4. A set of Hogwarts classics, which includes Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard. 27. Pub spoons that are a staple for any Harry Potter home. Your face when you realize you want everything on this list. Want even more great product suggestions?

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Mode of Enactment: Ultimate Harry Potter Weekend in London

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Mode of Enactment: Ultimate Harry Potter Weekend in London

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Parts of the Harry Potter books were set in London, and almost all of the movies were filmed there, so this Buzzfeed article suggests the best ways to see everything Potter-related, making it emotional, participatory, and subjective.

"Never forget that Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home."

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The magic starts for Harry when Hagrid takes him to the Leaky Cauldron, hidden in a back alley in Muggle London, so you should start on the Muggle streets, too (ease yourself into the Wizarding World)!

You can take a guided tour, like the splendid Potter-themed London walk, Muggle Tours, or you can follow our handy guide to the London-based locations as seen in the Harry Potter films and books.

Either way, you'll check out locations like Stoney Street, where the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron was filmed, and Leadenhall Market, which inspired Diagon Alley.

Then it's time to stock up on school supplies.

You can even grab a wand if you left yours behind like a total Muggle.

Drop your new goodies off at your dormitory.

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Here's How To Have A Harry Potter Weekend In London

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The magic starts for Harry when Hagrid takes him to the Leaky Cauldron, hidden in a back alley in Muggle London, so you should start on the Muggle streets, too (ease yourself into the Wizarding World)!

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"Digital technologies allow individuals to sample and remix popular culture content, write back to popular culture producers, and connect with fellow fans from around the corner and around the world" (Williams and Zenger, 2012, p. 4).

Williams, B. T., & Zenger, A. A. (2012). Introduction: Popular Culture and Literacy in a Networked World. In New Media Literacies and Participatory Popular Culture Across Borders (pp. 1-14). New York, NY: Routledge.

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"We should help students harness the energy, proficiency, and enjoyment of virtual experiences and explore the multi-disciplinary applications" (Abrams, Gerber, & Burgess, 2012, p. 102).

Abrams, S., Gerber, H., & Burgess, M. (2012). Digital Worlds and Shifting Borders: Popular Culture, Perception, and Pedagogy . In New Media Literacies and Participatory Popular Culture Across Borders (pp. 90-105). New York, NY: Routledge.