Platforms & Services

The use of digital technology has had a long stretch of rapid growth in the United States, but the share of Americans who go online, use social media or own key devices has remained stable the past two years.

Roughly six-in-ten U.S. teens have been bullied or harassed online. Senior Researcher Monica Anderson discusses the methods and meaning behind the data. 

59% of U.S. teens have been bullied or harassed online, and a similar share says it's a major problem for people their age. At the same time, teens mostly think teachers, social media companies and politicians are failing at addressing this issue.

The ways that social media shape political attitudes and the intricacies of lawmaking in Congress were two of many topics at the APSA annual conference.

Overall, 43% of U.S. adults say they often or sometimes play video games. Gaming is popular among teens – especially teenage boys.

Fast, reliable internet service has become broadly essential. But 24% of rural U.S. adults say access to high-speed internet is a major problem in their community.

Most Americans continue to get news on social media, even though many have concerns about its accuracy.

Around half of U.S. adults who use Facebook say they do not understand why certain posts but not others are included in their news feed. Older users are particularly likely to say they do not understand the workings of the news feed.

Just over half of Facebook users have adjusted privacy settings in the past year. Around four-in-ten have taken a break from checking for several weeks or more.

Roughly half of U.S. teens say they spend too much time on their cellphones, and two-thirds of parents express concern over their teen’s screen time. But parents face their own challenges of device-related distraction.