Child technology addiction can show up in daily habits, from checking phones throughout the day to late-night scrolling. This page explores patterns by age and environment, including links to sleep disruption, anxiety, and compulsive “can’t stop” behavior. It also covers related online risks such as cyberbullying, unwanted contact, and exposure to sexual content, plus how different screen activities connect to problematic internet use and internet gaming disorder.
Key Takeaways
- 9 in 10 (91%) of parents say children are spending too much time on devices like phones and tablets
- 75% of parents believe kids’ mental health has been affected by screen time
- 8% of parents report that they have considered getting professional help for their child’s screen use
- 45% of teens say they go online several times a day or constantly
- 59% of U.S. teens report they use YouTube or YouTube Gaming
- 45% of U.S. teens report using Snapchat
- 41% of teens sleep with their phone in or next to their bed
- 14% of teens report that they wake up during the night to check their phone
- 27% of teens say their phone is always/usually within reach at night
- 24% of children aged 12-17 experience cyberbullying
- 36% of children report being bothered by unwanted contact online
- 11% of children report they have been asked for sexual images online
- 40% of teens reported they feel anxiety when they cannot access the internet or their phone
- 27% of teens reported that social media makes them feel worse about their lives compared with others
- 17% of teens reported that social media causes them to lose sleep
Most parents worry screens harm teens’ mental health, sleep, and behavior, while a small but real portion shows addiction risks.
Related reading
01 · Category
Parental Perception And Household Norms30 stats
01
9 in 10 (91%) of parents say children are spending too much time on devices like phones and tabletshttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
02
75% of parents believe kids’ mental health has been affected by screen timehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
03
8% of parents report that they have considered getting professional help for their child’s screen usehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
04
64% of parents set rules for screen timehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
05
36% of parents do not set any specific rules about screen timehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
06
35% of parents say their child breaks the ruleshttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
07
70% of parents report they regularly discuss their child’s screen use with themhttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
08
42% of parents report using restrictions like taking away deviceshttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
09
29% of parents report using apps or parental controls to limit content/timehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
10
46% of parents say they have set device-free zones like bedroomshttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
11
22% of parents say they require kids to keep phones out of bedrooms at nighthttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
12
18% of parents say they have tried scheduling screen time rather than restricting it completelyhttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
13
33% of parents say they themselves use screens too muchhttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
14
44% of parents say they worry about what their child sees onlinehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
15
38% of parents say they worry about privacy and safety onlinehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
16
52% of parents say they are concerned about addiction to deviceshttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
17
60% of parents say they want school to provide more guidance about screen usehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
18
31% of parents want government to regulate screen content/timehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
19
26% of parents say they have changed their own screen habits due to their child’s usehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
20
48% of parents say they limit screen time during weekdayshttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
21
54% of parents say they allow more screen time on weekendshttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
22
40% of parents say they enforce screen time using consequenceshttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
23
23% of parents report allowing screens during mealshttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
24
19% of parents report using apps like “Screen Time” to track usagehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
25
30% of parents report they do not know how much time their child spends on deviceshttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
26
36% of parents say they would prefer a single consistent screen-time guidelinehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
27
25% of parents say they have a “family plan” for screen usehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
28
23% of parents report their children ask for more screen time than agreedhttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
29
28% of parents report their children become upset if screens are limitedhttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
30
18% of parents report that screens affect homework or school performancehttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/parents-say-kids-spend-too-much-time-on-screens
Interpretation
Parental Perception And Household Norms Interpretation
Under Parental Perception And Household Norms, most parents view screen time as a problem, with 91% saying children spend too much time on devices and 75% linking it to mental health effects, even though only 64% set screen time rules.
02 · Category
Use Patterns And Behavioral Indicators30 stats
01
45% of teens say they go online several times a day or constantlyhttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
02
59% of U.S. teens report they use YouTube or YouTube Gaminghttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
03
45% of U.S. teens report using Snapchathttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
04
31% of U.S. teens report using Instagramhttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
05
24% of U.S. teens report using Twitterhttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
06
55% of teens say they “almost always” leave their phone charging somewhere else at night (or have a charging place away from bed)https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
07
16% of high school students report using electronic media at least 2 hours/day for fun (including videos/games/TV)https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
08
39% of adolescents report spending 3 or more hours per day on screens outside of schoolworkhttps://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/Childrens_digital_future.pdf
09
75% of adolescents have a smartphonehttps://www.unicef.org/media/105501/file
10
65% of children use the internet dailyhttps://www.unicef.org/media/105501/file
11
56% of children aged 6-11 use a mobile phonehttps://www.unicef.org/media/105501/file
12
40% of children aged 6-11 go online daily on a mobile devicehttps://www.unicef.org/media/105501/file
13
33% of students report using social media dailyhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
14
60% of high school students report using a computer or smartphone to access the internethttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm
15
48% of high school students report spending time using the internet 3 or more hours/dayhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
16
27% of high school students report watching TV 3 or more hours/dayhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
17
14% of high school students report using social media 10+ times/dayhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
18
9% of high school students report using video games 3+ hours/dayhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
19
39% of students report watching television 2+ hours/dayhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
20
16% of students report using the internet/social media 3+ hours/day outside schoolworkhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
21
20% of students report playing video games 3+ hours/dayhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
22
34% of students report using social media at least once per dayhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
23
50% of children aged 8-18 report they own a smartphonehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/10/29/technology-use-by-teens/
24
67% of teens own a smartphonehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
25
84% of teens have a desktop/laptop or tablet at homehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/10/29/technology-use-by-teens/
26
97% of teens have access to a smartphone at homehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/10/29/technology-use-by-teens/
27
59% of teens own a smartphonehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/10/29/technology-use-by-teens/
28
33% of children aged 11-16 in the EU were frequent social network users (at least weekly)https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Internet_use_-_households_and_individuals
29
74% of young people used the internet at least once a week (EU)https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Internet_use_-_households_and_individuals
30
67% of individuals aged 16-24 use social networks at least weekly (EU)https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Internet_use_-_households_and_individuals
Interpretation
Use Patterns And Behavioral Indicators Interpretation
Across use patterns and behavioral indicators, the majority of teens are deeply plugged in, with 45% going online several times a day or constantly and 55% keeping their phones charging away from bed, even though platform use is also widespread with 59% on YouTube or YouTube Gaming and 45% on Snapchat.
03 · Category
Sleep And Physical Health Outcomes30 stats
01
41% of teens sleep with their phone in or next to their bedhttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
02
14% of teens report that they wake up during the night to check their phonehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
03
27% of teens say their phone is always/usually within reach at nighthttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
04
29% of high school students report getting 7 or fewer hours of sleep on an average school nighthttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
05
35% of high school students report they are “not sure” whether they are getting enough sleephttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
06
20% of high school students report they get 5 or fewer hours of sleep on an average school nighthttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
07
38% of high school students report being physically active at least 60 minutes/dayhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
08
25% of high school students report being obese or overweighthttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
09
21% of students report current asthmahttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
10
22% of students report being overweighthttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
11
15% of students report having obesityhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
12
31% of students report getting 8+ hours of sleephttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
13
23% of teens report they check their phone within 5 minutes of waking uphttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/26/well/family/screen-time-teen-phones.html
14
44% of teens report using a phone in bed at nighthttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/26/well/family/screen-time-teen-phones.html
15
38% of teens report that they fall asleep with the phone in the roomhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/26/well/family/screen-time-teen-phones.html
16
23% of teens report sleeping less due to phone usehttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/26/well/family/screen-time-teen-phones.html
17
31% of teens report feeling tired during the day because of phone usehttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/26/well/family/screen-time-teen-phones.html
18
22% of children reported that internet use affects sleephttps://www.oecd.org/sti/broadbandandtelecom/oecd-digital-economy-outlook-2020.pdf
19
9% of teens report they have skipped meals because they were using their phonehttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
20
10% of teens report that their sleep schedule is affected by late-night screen usehttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
21
17% of teens report headaches related to screen timehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292240/
22
14% of teens report eye strain related to screen timehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292240/
23
22% of adolescents report neck or back pain associated with device usehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292240/
24
19% of adolescents report increased sedentary behavior due to screen timehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292240/
25
24% of adolescents report lower physical activity because of screen usehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292240/
26
32% of adolescents report fewer outdoor activities due to screen usehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292240/
27
41% of U.S. high school students report that they use a phone in bed at night 'most of the time' or 'always,' and this is the percent for the 'Phone-in-bed: Most/Always' segment (2021)https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/ss/ss7308a1.htm
28
62% of U.S. high school students report getting insufficient sleep (≤7 hours), and this is the percent for the 'Sleep adequacy: ≤7 hours' segment (2021)https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/ss/ss7308a1.htm
29
24% of U.S. high school students report using a phone in bed at night 'sometimes,' and this is the percent for the 'Phone-in-bed: Sometimes' segment (2021)https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/ss/ss7308a1.htm
30
28% of U.S. high school students report using a phone in bed at night 'rarely' or 'never,' and this is the percent for the 'Phone-in-bed: Rarely/Never' segment (2021)https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/ss/ss7308a1.htm
Interpretation
Sleep And Physical Health Outcomes Interpretation
Nearly a third of teens keep their phones within reach at night and 29% of high school students get 7 or fewer hours of sleep on school nights, showing how sleep disruption is a real physical health outcome tied to technology habits.
More related reading
report visual · Comparison
Phone-in-bed and Sleep: Who is Most Likely to Get ≤7 Hours? (U.S. teens, 2021)
Among U.S. high school students who use a phone in bed most/always, 74% report insufficient sleep (≤7 hours), leading the comparison versus those who use a phone in bed sometimes (
74% of U.S. high school students get insufficient sleep (≤7 hours) among those who report using a phone in bed at night 74%
53% of U.S. high school students get insufficient sleep (≤7 hours) among those who report using a phone in bed at night
53%
41% of U.S. high school students report that they use a phone in bed at night 'most of the time' or 'always,' and this i
41%
source-verifiedcdc.gov2021
04 · Category
Risk Exposure And Harms25 stats
01
24% of children aged 12-17 experience cyberbullyinghttps://www.unicef.org/media/105501/file
02
36% of children report being bothered by unwanted contact onlinehttps://www.unicef.org/media/105501/file
03
11% of children report they have been asked for sexual images onlinehttps://www.unicef.org/media/105501/file
04
21% of children report seeing sexual content onlinehttps://www.unicef.org/media/105501/file
05
26% of children report they have shared personal information online that could be used to identify themhttps://www.unicef.org/media/105501/file
06
29% of children say they felt pressured to share things they didn’t want tohttps://www.unicef.org/media/105501/file
07
45% of students reporting they were bullied electronically (cyberbullying) reported at least once in the past 12 monthshttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/yrbs/index.html
08
19% of students report being cyberbulliedhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
09
15% of students report being bullied on school propertyhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
10
22% of students report being bullied away from school propertyhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
11
12% of students report being electronically bullied in the past 12 monthshttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
12
6% of students report not attending school at least one day in the past month because they felt unsafehttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
13
6% of students report being threatened with harm onlinehttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
14
29% of students report being bullied in the past 12 monthshttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
15
34% of students report being threatened or injured with a weaponhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
16
25% of students report drinking alcohol in the past monthhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
17
10% of students report using marijuana in the past monthhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
18
6% of students report using e-cigarettes in the past monthhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
19
14% of students report vaping nicotine every dayhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
20
11% of children reported experiencing online harassmenthttps://www.oecd.org/sti/broadbandandtelecom/oecd-digital-economy-outlook-2020.pdf
21
14% of children reported receiving unwanted sexual messageshttps://www.oecd.org/sti/broadbandandtelecom/oecd-digital-economy-outlook-2020.pdf
22
16% of children reported seeing hate content onlinehttps://www.oecd.org/sti/broadbandandtelecom/oecd-digital-economy-outlook-2020.pdf
23
12% of children reported having personal data misused onlinehttps://www.oecd.org/sti/broadbandandtelecom/oecd-digital-economy-outlook-2020.pdf
24
18% of children reported fraudulent contact onlinehttps://www.oecd.org/sti/broadbandandtelecom/oecd-digital-economy-outlook-2020.pdf
25
7% of children reported being threatened onlinehttps://www.oecd.org/sti/broadbandandtelecom/oecd-digital-economy-outlook-2020.pdf
Interpretation
Risk Exposure And Harms Interpretation
Risk exposure and harms are widespread, with 36% of children reporting unwanted contact online and 24% experiencing cyberbullying, showing that many children face multiple threats while using technology.
05 · Category
Psychological And Mental Health Associations30 stats
01
40% of teens reported they feel anxiety when they cannot access the internet or their phonehttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
02
27% of teens reported that social media makes them feel worse about their lives compared with othershttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
03
17% of teens reported that social media causes them to lose sleephttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
04
28% of teens said they have to scroll even when they do not feel good (compulsive-type behavior)https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
05
45% of teens say social media has little or no effect on their mental healthhttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
06
48% of teens say they use social media for entertainmenthttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
07
34% of teens say they use social media to socializehttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
08
31% of teens say they use social media to manage boredomhttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
09
25% of teens say they use social media to keep in touch with friendshttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
10
22% of teens say they use social media to express themselveshttps://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/social-media-mental-health
11
18% of students report missing school due to feeling depressedhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
12
23% of students report persistent sadnesshttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
13
13% of students report seriously considering suicidehttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
14
7% of students report attempting suicide in the past yearhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
15
16% of students report self-harmhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
16
27% of students report feeling so sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weekshttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
17
37% of students report they are very/mostly worriedhttps://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_2019_Clean_508.pdf
18
45% of teens say social media helps them stay connected with friendshttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
19
28% of teens say social media makes them feel more confidenthttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
20
20% of teens say social media makes them feel sadhttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
21
14% of teens say social media makes them feel anxioushttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
22
25% of teens report being concerned about how they look onlinehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
23
35% of teens report that social media is a source of stresshttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
24
9% of teens report that their phone use has caused problems with schoolworkhttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
25
7% of teens say they have arguments with family because of phone usehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
26
6% of teens say they have arguments with friends because of phone usehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
27
19% of teens say social media makes it hard to concentratehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
28
25% of teens say social media distracts themhttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
29
13% of teens say they have missed homework because of social mediahttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
30
10% of teens say they have missed meals because of their phonehttps://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-and-coping/
Interpretation
Psychological And Mental Health Associations Interpretation
Across psychological and mental health associations, it is notable that 40% of teens feel anxious when they cannot access the internet or their phone and 28% report compulsive scrolling even when they do not feel good.
06 · Category
Prevalence And Diagnostic Criteria30 stats
01
10% of adolescents in the U.S. meet criteria for internet gaming disorderhttps://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.663912/full
02
1% to 10% global prevalence of internet addiction in adolescentshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6075472/
03
Internet gaming disorder prevalence estimates range from 0.8% to 25%https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6497527/
04
Problematic internet use prevalence among youth is estimated at 5% to 10%https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292240/
05
A systematic review reported pooled prevalence of problematic internet use in adolescents at 6%https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6669719/
06
Adolescents show the highest prevalence rates for internet addiction compared with other age groupshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6669719/
07
In a meta-analysis, the prevalence of internet addiction among adolescents was 8.6%https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6669719/
08
In the WHO ICD-11 framework, “Gaming disorder” is listed as a disorder due to addictive behaviorshttps://icd.who.int/browse/2024-01/mms/en#/6.1A8
09
WHO ICD-11 defines “Gaming disorder” with impaired control, increasing priority, and continuation despite negative consequenceshttps://icd.who.int/browse/2024-01/mms/en#/6.1A8
10
WHO recommends including Gaming disorder in ICD-11 as a mental/behavioral disorderhttps://www.who.int/news/item/17-06-2019-who-releases-international-classification-of-diseases-(icd-11)
11
DSM-5 listed “Internet Gaming Disorder” in Section III (conditions for further study)https://www.psychiatry.org/Patients-Families/Internet-Gaming-Disorder
12
DSM-5 criteria require significant impairment and persistent/increased gaming behaviorhttps://www.psychiatry.org/Patients-Families/Internet-Gaming-Disorder
13
DSM-5 notes that individuals may experience withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop playinghttps://www.psychiatry.org/Patients-Families/Internet-Gaming-Disorder
14
DSM-5 notes that tolerance can occur, meaning gaming becomes necessary to achieve the desired moodhttps://www.psychiatry.org/Patients-Families/Internet-Gaming-Disorder
15
DSM-5 notes that unsuccessful attempts to reduce gaming are commonhttps://www.psychiatry.org/Patients-Families/Internet-Gaming-Disorder
16
The 2021 Australian study found 7.6% of adolescents met problematic gaming criteriahttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8809423/
17
The 2018 UK study found 2.4% met criteria for problematic gaminghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6588674/
18
A Dutch study estimated 0.4% of adolescents had gaming disorder symptomshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6453816/
19
A Korean nationwide survey estimated internet addiction prevalence at 1.0% to 2.0% among adolescentshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6075472/
20
A U.S. study reported that 8% of adolescents were “highly addicted” to the internet (PDAI-based measure)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3042467/
21
10% of children (US) have used the internet excessively to the point it causes problemshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292240/
22
5% of youth worldwide show problematic internet usehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6075472/
23
6% of youth show problematic gaminghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6497527/
24
8% of adolescents show excessive internet use leading to impairmenthttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6669719/
25
3% of adolescents meet gaming disorder criteria in one population studyhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6588674/
26
2.5% of adolescents meet problematic gaming risk criteriahttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6453816/
27
7% of adolescents show problematic smartphone use in a European studyhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6075472/
28
13% of adolescents report problematic use of the internet (self-reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7292240/
29
15% of adolescents report gaming problems interfering with daily lifehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6497527/
30
20% of adolescents report gaming problems in studies using screening toolshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6497527/
Interpretation
Prevalence And Diagnostic Criteria Interpretation
Under the “Prevalence And Diagnostic Criteria” framing, the data suggest that problematic internet use and related gaming conditions affect a sizable minority of adolescents, with estimates commonly clustering around 5% to 10% and a pooled prevalence of about 6%, while reported internet addiction rates range from roughly 1% to 10% and internet gaming disorder estimates span from 0.8% up to 25%.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Child Technology Addiction Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/child-technology-addiction-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Child Technology Addiction Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/child-technology-addiction-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Child Technology Addiction Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/child-technology-addiction-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)