Research + News

Sick WhatsApp ‘Momo Suicide Game’ Infiltrates ‘Minecraft’

The horrific “Momo” WhatsApp ‘suicide game’ linked to the death of at least one teen has appeared in “Minecraft.” Read the article here.

The Love-Hate Relationship Between Teens And Their Smartphones

It seems like teenagers would appreciate taking a break from their smartphones, if only they knew how. Read the article here.

Parents Hiring Fortnite Coaches To Improve Play, Help Children Level Up

As Fortnite Battle Royale continues to dominate the world of video games, parents are starting to invest in coaches in the same way they would for sports or academics. Read the article here.

Do Teens Use Facebook? It Depends On Their Family’s Income

While only one-third of kids from families with higher incomes said they are on Facebook, Pew reported recently, a much larger share of teens from lower-income backgrounds said that they still use the platform. Read the article here.

The TV Set Reigns Supreme At The Top Of The ‘Hierarchy Of Screens’

When asked which screen was their favorite, 70% of 6- to 44-year-olds across 14 countries chose the TV set – followed by laptop/desktop computers (22%), tablets (4%) and smartphones (4%). Read the article here.

Over Half Of Millennials Say They Waste Too Much Time On Smartphones

According to new data from YouGov Omnibus, more than a third of Americans say they couldn’t go more than a few hours without their smartphones. Read the article here.

Apps Stirring Up Trouble In Schools

This year’s hottest social media can fill the school day with drama and distraction. Read the article from Common Sense Media here.

An Internal Email Shows How Facebook Learned Of A ‘Psychological Trick’ To Get Teens To Try A New Product

Tbh, a former Facebook owned app, created private Instagram accounts, then followed teen users to trigger their curiosity. Read the full article here.

Momo Challenge: 5 Fast Facts You Need To Know

Parents are worried that a new challenge known as the Momo Challenge  — rumored to be a suicide challenge on WhatsApp — might be the successor to the Blue Whale Challenge. Read the article here.

Technology, Dating, College, Career: Here’s Why Today’s Teens Are The Most Anxious Ever

What can be done to overcome anxiety? And why parents may be contributing to the problem. Read the article here.

Netflix Targets Teens With Rom Coms – A Genre That Has Faded From Theatres

Streaming service spotted the demand when viewers accessed its catalogue of classic romantic comedies. Read the article here.

Teens Are Seeking Out Plastic Surgery To Look Like Snapchat Filters, Doctors Warn

A new phenomenon called Snapchat dysmorphia has popped up. Read the article here.

Studies Reveal Revenge Porn Survivors Suffer Similar Trauma As Sexual Assault Survivors

Nonconsensual pornography is a relatively new phenomenon that has grown substantially in the past few years and involves uploading nude or semi-nude images/videos of a person online without their consent. Read the article here.

How Do Photo Retouching Apps Affect Impressionable Teens On Social Media?

Facetune and Facetune 2, which can instantly zap away perceived imperfections on any photo, have together been downloaded a whopping 50 million times since the first one was launched in 2013. Read the article here.

Facebook Falls In BrandIndex Global Brand Health Ranking

Google has retained its top spot in YouGov’s BrandIndex global brand health ranking – while Facebook falls two places to fifth in the list. Read the article here.

Depressed Teens Turn To Social Media To Cope, Survey Finds

Despite fears that digital tech may worsen depression, most teens and young adults surveyed said it did not make a difference. Read the article here.

One In 10 Millennials Would Rather Lose A Finger Than Give Up Their Smartphone

Many also would give up other things as well, including one of their five senses. Read the full article here.

We Have Some Bad News For You About Porn

Internet filtering tools, like parental controls, are largely unsuccessful in preventing young people from watching porn online, according to new research from the Oxford Internet Institute. Read the article here.

Around 60% Of Teens Feel Pressure To Look ‘Perfect’ On Social Media – And Influencers May Be To Blame

A survey by YMCA of 1,000 Brits aged 11-16 about body image expectations revealed that 58 per cent say celebrities are responsible, while 52 per cent blamed people on social media. Read the article here.

5 Ways Kids’ Brains Are Super Susceptible To Porn

The brain’s natural safeguards are under construction during childhood and adolescence, and this has implications for the impact of pornography on young people’s brains. Read the article here.

Parental Controls Do Not Stop Teens From Seeing Pornogrpahy

New research has found that Internet filtering tools are ineffective and in most cases, were an insignificant factor in whether young people had seen explicit sexual content. Read the research here.

17 Apps And Websites Kids Are Heading To After Facebook

Social media apps that let teens do it all — text, chat, meet people, and share their pics and videos — often fly under parents’ radars. Read the article from Common Sense Media here.

More Screen Time For Teens Linked To ADHD Symptoms

A study published Tuesday in JAMA suggests that such frequent use of digital media by adolescents might increase their odds of developing symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Read the article here.

Cyberbullying Is Causing Teens Serious Emotional Harm

Bullying by cell phone or social media bears no relation to the schoolyard bullying you probably knew as a kid. It’s like comparing a paper airplane to a supersonic jet. Read the article here.

Taking Away The Phones Won’t Solve Our Teenagers’ Problems

If smartphones aren’t a direct cause of teenagers’ mental health struggles, their use might instead be a crucial way in which these struggles are expressed. This calls for a different set of solutions. Read the article here.

Teens And Tech

A summary of recent Pew Research Center findings. Read the article here.

Longer Hours On Social Media May Increase Teens’ Risk Of Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying may be linked to higher use of social network sites by school children aged 14-17 years. Read the article here.

Esports Niche Getting Bigger; 62% Play At Least An Hour Per Week

New research from Parks Associates shows that 10% of U.S broadband households watch esports content on sites ranging from Amazon’s Twitch to YouTube, and 62% actually play an esports game for at least an hour a week. Read the article here.

Experts Warn Of Teen’s Secret Digital Lives

Today’s kids are meeting strangers, some of them adults, on a variety of apps. Read the full article here.

Should Parents Be Friends With Their Kids On Social Media?

The answer to this question about being friends with our kids probably depends on the personality and age of your child. Read the rest of the answer from Tim Elmore in his blog post here.

Set A Better Example For Gen Z On Social Media

Technology, especially social media, is one of the biggest “shapers” for Gen Z, the digital natives. In this podcast from Impact 360 Institute, Nikki Dutton and Jonathan Morrow discuss some practical ways that adults can set a good example for Gen Z on social media. Listen to the podcast here.

Teenage Girl’s Suicide In 2014 Shows Social Media Has Transformed The Way Kids Are Bullied

“The constant bullying is a factor in teen suicide, and with the 24-hour cycle of news and social media, there’s no getting away from it.” Read the rest of the article here.

The Top 10 Video Games Of 2018 (So Far)

Police Warn Parents Of Social Media’s Role In Human Trafficking

Human trafficking doesn’t just happen in big cities, it happens everywhere and a big part, according to Michigan State Police, is because of social media. Read the article here.

MTV To Produce Reboots Of Classic Shows For Streaming Services

When MTV launched in 1981, it quickly established itself as the place where young viewers flocked to on TV. Now, of course, younger consumers favor streaming video services like Netflix and Hulu over bulky cable TV bundles. So MTV has decided that if millennials don’t “want their MTV” on the channel itself, they will deliver it to them wherever they are watching. Read the article here.

Constantly On: Teens And Social Media

The latest episode of eMarketer’s “Behind the Numbers” podcast digs into data about teens’ use of social media. Listen to the podcast here.

5 Things To Keep In Mind Regarding Teens, Technology And Digital Detoxing

Help your kids strike a healthy balance with tech use – something they (like you) actually crave. Read the article here.

Apps And Online Behaviors To Be Wary Of With Our Kids

Secret or hidden apps, enhanced password protection, and even apps that facilitate drug purchases have provided tweens and teens with seemingly unfettered access to content and behaviors that their parents would most likely never condone. Read the article here.

Fortnite Announces Competitive Season

In less than a year, Fortnite has grown to 125 million players. To celebrate the community and embrace competitive play, Epic announced they will be providing $100,000,000 to fund prize pools for Fortnite competitions during the 2018-2019 season. Read the announcement here.

The Dangers Of Distracted Parenting

When it comes to children’s development, parents should worry less about kids’ screen time—and more about their own. Read the article here.

Next Year, People Will Spend More Time Online Than They Will Watching TV. That’s A First.

In 2019, people are expected to spend an average of 170.6 minutes each day on online activities like watching videos on YouTube, sharing photos on Facebook and shopping on Amazon. They’ll spend slightly less time — 170.3 minutes —watching TV. Read the full article here.

What A New Study Reveals About Selfies And Teenage Body Image

From Facebook and Twitter, to Instagram and Snapchat, it’s no secret social media has become a common form of communication, but have you ever left your feeds feeling bad about yourself? If so, you’re not alone. Read the rest of the article here.

Parents’ Ultimate Guide To Snapchat

Is Snapchat safe for kids? How does it work? And what’s with Snapstreaks? Everything curious parents need to know about this ultra-popular app from Common Sense Media. Read the article here.

Ten Ways “Grown-Up” Christians Can Set A Better Example For Gen Z On Social Media

Dear Christians On Social Media, Gen Z Is Watching. Read this article from Jonathan Morrow for the Impact 360 Institute here.

Cyberbullying: The Risks And Helping Your Child Recover

Cyberbulling is on the rise, but our children’s ability to deal with it is not keeping pace. Read the article here.

Console Upgrades Continue To Drive Interest For U.S. Video Gamers

Change is inevitable, and nowhere is that more so than in video games, where transformation can happen in the blink of an eye, thanks to the velocity inherent in digital media. Read the article here.

This Study Reveals How Teens Can Become Desensitized To Pornographic Material Over Time

A new study published  aims to explore the frequency and intentional or unintentional nature of exposure to online sexual materials and its possible desensitizing effect on the perception of online sexual content over time. Read the article here.

Coaches: Youth Sports, Social Media, Parents Have Changed The Job

The impact of social media, and the role parents play in their children’s lives, has drastically altered the job of youth coaches. Read the article here.

Homework, Not Games, The Reason Why China’s Teens Go Online?

Homework, not gaming, was the top reason cited by teenage respondents for going online, according to a study by Tencent Holdings, which is facing public scrutiny over its role in policing gaming addiction among youths. Read the article here.

Teens, Social Media & Technology 2018

The latest report from the Pew Research Center says that YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular online platforms among teens. Fully 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online ‘almost constantly.’ Read the report here.

U.S. Games 360 Report: 2018

For the ninth year in a row, Nielsen has conducted extensive research into how Americans feel about—and consume—gaming. Read the report here.

Seven Symptoms Of Too Much Social Media Use

Tim Elmore blogs on what happens to teens with too much social media exposure. Read his blog here.

Are Smartphones Causing More Teen Suicides?

Increases in depression and suicide appeared among teens in 2012 – the same time smartphone ownership became the norm. Read the article here.

I Wish My Mom’s Phone Wasn’t Invented, 2nd Grader Writes In School Project

Elementary school teacher Jen Beason said four of her students told her they wished phones were never invented after giving the class a writing prompt. Read the article here.

US Kids Say Social Media Stars Are More Influential Than Celebrities Or The President

There’s no denying the influence of social media celebrities on America’s youth as new research from Mintel reveals that more than one third (34%) of kids aged 6-17 consider social media stars* to be among their top role models, outranking the influence of musicians (33%), athletes (27%), actors (22%) and even the President (16%).

Read the full article here.

Fortnite On Android Is Coming This Summer

Epic has revealed that is planning to launch its battle royale shooter for Google’s mobile operating system this summer. Read the article here.

Facebook Launches Youth Portal To Educate Teens On The Platform, How Their Data Is Being Used

Facebook has released a new Youth Portal that offers some guidance to teens on how to navigate the service, how to stay secure, while also helping them understand how their data is used. Read the article here.

Battle Royale(ty) – Top Fortnite Players To Watch

With the game entering the cultural zeitgeist and players earning celebrity status—particularly among teen boys—here are a few gamers to keep an eye on. Read the article here.

Live Streaming Apps Put Young Teens At Risk For Sex Predators, Advocates Warn

The rise in popularity of livestreaming apps is putting young teens and pre-teens at growing risk of becoming victims of sex predators and distributors of child porn, advocates say. Read the article here.

Hunched-Over Teens With Text Next Can’t See The Damage They Are Doing To Themselves

Teenagers bent over cell phones, laptops and tablets are setting themselves up for years of pain. Read the article here.

How Fortnite Captured Teens’ Hearts And Minds

The craze for the third-person shooter game has elements of Beatlemania, the opioid crisis, and eating Tide Pods. Read the article here.

The Murky Facts Of The ‘Deodorant Challenge’ – And Other Viral Teen ‘Crazes’

Dumb and dangerous online teen challenges are repeat visitors to the news cycle. And they bring with them a whole world of factual murkiness. Read the article here.

Kids Not Immune To Lure Of ‘Smart’ Toys

While child privacy issues remain a major obstacle — and rightly so — “smart” toys are poised for serious growth over the next several years. Read the article here.

The Teenage Social-Media Trap

Teens increasingly measure and manage their social success online—and it may be taking a toll on their mental health. Read the full article here.

What Parents Need To Know About Social Media And Anxiety

Learn to recognize the warning signs of anxiety disorder and help your kid keep social media use healthy and productive. Read the full blog post from Common Sense Media here.

The Real Victim Of Cyberbullying Is… The Cyberbully?

There’s also a new kind of self-aggression being taken by teens; a new psychological study has suggested there are teenagers who undergo digital self-harm. Teenagers who perform digital self-harm post derogatory comments about themselves anonymously on social media. Read the article here.

Researchers Explore Pornography’s Effect On Long-Term Relationships

Married men and women who use pornography are more likely to get divorced than men and women who do not, researchers say. Porn is a driver in making relationships worse, increasing the divorce risk. Read the full article here.

When Teens Cyberbully Themselves

In a study of nearly 5,600 U.S. youths ages 12 to 17, about 6 percent say they’ve engaged in some sort of digital self-harm. More than half in that subgroup say they’ve bullied themselves this way more than once. Read the article here.

Fixing The Broken Web – Before It’s Too Late

What can be done to fix the state of the Internet? Read the article here.

A New Study Shows That Students Learn Way More Effectively From Print Textbooks Than Screens

While new forms of classroom technology like digital textbooks are more accessible and portable, it would be wrong to assume that students will automatically be better served by digital reading simply because they prefer it. Read the article here.

Yes Means Yes: New Apps Formalize Sexual Consent

In the era of #MeToo and #TimesUp, young people have more concerns over sexual consent than ever. New apps aim to quell some of those concerns by recording consent from each party before they engage in intimate activity. Read the article here.

Social Media Use In 2018

A majority of Americans use Facebook and YouTube, but young adults are especially heavy users of Snapchat and Instagram. Read the latest from the Pew Research Center here.

I Was Sold On Backpage.com: The Story Of Jane Doe

Backpage has been shut down in a collaborative effort between the FBI and other government agencies. However, to give this victory meaning we need to understand how child sex trafficking impacts all of us. Read the article here.

Study Finds Over 3,300 Android Apps Improperly Tracking Kids

There’s little doubt that mobile apps sometimes overstep their bounds by collecting more data from kids than the law allows. Read the article here.

Heavy Smartphone Use Tied To Anxiety, Loneliness, Depression

New research suggests the convenience of smartphones can facilitate overuse and addiction. Read the article here.

China’s Selfie Culture: Youth Obsessed With The Power Of Appearances

Meitu’s popular apps and a flippant attitude towards plastic surgery are changing what it means to be beautiful, but the result is not always pretty. Read the article here.

More Than 80% Of Teens Own iPhone, Survey Says

Yet again, it appears the preferred smartphone of teens is the iPhone. Read the article here.

Teen Monitoring Apps Don’t Work And Just Make Teens Hate Their Parents, Study Finds

Parental control apps don’t always work well, and according to preliminary research, they can also drive a wedge between teens and parents. Read the full article here.

On Netflix, A Growing Wave Of Shows For And About Teenagers

Netflix has continued to add shows for audiences in the “in-between” ages of teens and tweens. Read the full article here.

Amazon Extends Its Lead In Parental Controls

Amazon, which already has some of the most parent-friendly options for its Fire tablets, added some more improvements. Read the article here.

58% Of Parents Concerned About Negative Health Effects In Children Using Virtual Reality

Parents see virtual reality as providing some benefits to their children, but they also have concerns. Read the article here.

You Know Who’s Really Addicted To Their Phones? The Olds

The data suggests that the ones most hooked on their devices are those graying Gen Xers. Read the article here.

Google Is Equipping More Rural School Buses With Wi-Fi And Chromebooks

Providing students with dependable Wi-Fi before and after school is a boon for those who might lack broadband internet at home, giving them two opportunities daily to complete assignments or study for exams while on the bus. Read the article here.

Where’s Your Teen Sleeping? Check Chuck E. Cheese, then Walmart

Adventure seekers are hiding overnight in stores for ‘24-hour challenge’—and are really, really bored. Read the article here.

Amazon Reportedly Wants To Create Checking Accounts For Teens

Amazon is in early discussions with banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Capital One Financial Corp. to create something akin to checking accounts that will be aimed at teenagers. Read the article here.

Sorry New York Times, Sexting Is NOT Normal For Teens, And Should Not Be Celebrated

A recent column in the New York Times by Dr. Perri Klass gives the impression that sexting is a rather normal, even healthy aspect of teenage sexuality. Read a rebuttal here.

How Video Games Turn Teenagers Into Millionaires

From making their own games, to broadcasting live online, to playing professionally in packed stadiums – how entrepreneurs in their teens and twenties earn a living on video games. Read the article here.

Parents May Fret, But Teens And Even Experts Say Social Media Use Has Its Benefits

Teens and mentors talk about social media’s effects on their lives. Read the article here.

Esports Racks Up Points With Hard-To-Reach Demo: Young Males

As platforms like Twitch become destinations in their own right, and esports leagues become more formal in their structures, the opportunities for brands to engage becomes clearer. Read the full article here.

Gen-Z Relieved To Escape Their Smartphones For Several Weeks, Study Suggests

mbers of Generation Z are relieved when placed in a situation where they are unable to access their smartphones for several weeks, suggests a study conducted by Screen Education, a non-profit organization that addresses smartphone addiction. Read the article here.

Music Revenues Rise Double Digits In 2017

Teenagers Are Fueling A Competitive Gaming Tidal Wave

Video games have come a long way since the days of Atari and Sega. Instead of pulling up a beanbag chair up to the tube TV in your parents’ basement, now there are worldwide competitions among top-ranked gamers and players streaming their games to millions of subscribers on YouTube. Read the full article here.

Kids Are Having Issues Holding Their Pencils Because Of Technology

It doesn’t just stop at handwriting – fine motor skill challenges could lead to trouble buttoning clothes, tying shoes and more. Read the article here.

Social Media Friends Can Bruise Your Body Image

Seeing too many social media posts from friends about their fitness activity can harm your body image, a new study contends. Read the article here.

Teen Suicides Rise In Tandem With Cyberbullying – And Advocates Have Had Enough

Families and legislators have banded together to fight a scourge that is harming and even killing teenagers. Read the article here.

No Simple Answer To Impact Of Smartphone On Teens

New research suggests the impact of cell phones is dependent upon many variables, including the vulnerability of the teen. Read the article here.

How Teens Use Fake Instagram Accounts To Relieve The Pressure Of Perfection

Fake Instagram accounts, often referred to as “finstas” or “spam accounts”, have become the norm for many teens – but their reasoning for creating these is not as sinister as you think. Read the article here.

What Happened Online in 2017 Within 60 Seconds?

This is a quick compendium of things up and downloaded, posted and searched for, sent and received, listened to and watched in bits and bytes. View the infographic and access the report here.

Through Social Media, Teens Learn From Others’ Stories And Stand Up For Their Beliefs

Viacom research revealed that through social media, teens experience the power of hearing others’ voices – and of using their own. Read the article here.

Are Young Adults Growing Tired Of Constant Social Connectivity?

Many are rethinking social media habits. Read the article here.