Age, Generations & Tech

American teens don't just make friends in the schoolyard or neighborhood — many are finding new friends online. Video games, social media and mobile phones play an integral role in how teens meet and interact.

Although seniors tend to lag their younger counterparts in tech adoption, more seniors than those 18-29 describe their smartphone as liberating.

Today, 60% of parents have checked their teenagers' profile on a social networking site.

Smartphones are fueling a shift in the communication landscape for teens. Nearly three-quarters of teens now use smartphones and 92% of teens report going online daily — including 24% who say they go online "almost constantly."

In a recent Pew Research survey, more respondents said communication skills were most important for children to have, followed by reading, math, teamwork, writing and logic. Science fell somewhere in the middle.

A majority of Americans think children should be required to get vaccinated. Young adults more likely to say vaccinating kids should be a parental choice.

How digital tools are changing not only how teens communicate, but also how they gather information about the world and present themselves to others.

Adoption is increasing, but many seniors remain isolated from digital life