Pew study: African American teens use Internet the most

Nearly three quarters of American teens have, or have access to, a smartphone and 30 percent have a basic cellphone, according to a new Pew Research Center study of teens ages 13-17. The survey finds that 92 percent of teens report going online daily – including 24 percent who say they go online “almost constantly.” More than half of teens go online several times a day.

The data reveal that African-American and Hispanic youth report more frequent Internet use than white teens. Among African-American teens, 34 percent report going online “almost constantly” as do 32 percent of Hispanic youth, while 19 percent of white teens go online that often. Indeed, African-American teens are the most likely of any group of teens to have a smartphone.

The study also finds that Facebook remains a dominant social media platform for the bulk of American teens, with 71 percent% of all teens reporting use of the platform. Instagram and Snapchat are also quite popular with teens, especially girls.

Nancy Dahlberg

This story was originally published April 10, 2015 at 10:17 PM with the headline "Pew study: African American teens use Internet the most."