Approximately how many hours a day do typical 18-year-olds spend on the internet?
In a recent report titled "Addictive Behaviours at 18: Internet Use," published by ICAD, the prevalence of daily internet and social media use among 18-year-olds has been examined, revealing some intriguing trends between boys and girls.
According to the report, girls (around 21.4%) tend to spend more than two hours daily on social media than boys (16.8%) at age 18. This suggests a higher intensity of use among young females.
In terms of internet addiction and compulsive behaviors, adolescent boys exhibit a higher overall addiction rate at 32.8%, mainly linked to online gaming and streaming, while girls’ addiction rate is lower at 24.1%, primarily related to social media use.
Interestingly, girls experience more social comparison anxiety related to social media and are more likely to exceed their intended online time. Around 26% of women spend more time online than they intend almost every day.
Both genders use platforms like TikTok in roughly equal proportions at that age, but girls use social media more for mental health support and content creation, while boys lean more towards gaming and streaming.
The report also highlights an increase in the use of social media among 18-year-olds since 2015. The majority of young people (60%) use the internet for an average of four hours or more per day, with 38% using it for five hours or more.
In addition, 80% of 18-year-olds conduct online research while reading or studying, with 29% researching up to one hour per day and 32% researching between two and three hours.
The report also discusses the issue of internet-related problems, with 36% of young people having experienced various problems associated with internet use. These issues range from performance problems and health issues to behavioral problems, financial problems, acts of violence, unprotected sex, emotional distress, and more.
With a sample size of 91,989 young people, the report provides a comprehensive overview of internet and social media use among 18-year-olds. The findings suggest a rising and differentiated trend in daily internet and social media use among this age group over recent years.
It's important to note that the prevalence of internet use has remained close to 100% over the years, with an eight percentage point difference in the percentage of young people who started using the internet before age 10 between 2017 and 2024.
In conclusion, the report sheds light on the varying patterns of internet and social media use among 18-year-olds, emphasizing the need for continued research and awareness to address the potential risks and benefits associated with these activities.
- The report reveals that girls in Portugal spend more time on social media than boys at age 18, with 21.4% of girls using social media for more than two hours daily compared to 16.8% of boys.
- The addiction rate among adolescent boys in relation to the internet is 32.8%, mainly due to online gaming and streaming, while the addiction rate among girls is lower at 24.1%, primarily linked to social media use.
- Girls are more likely to experience social comparison anxiety related to social media use, with around 26% of women exceeding their intended online time almost every day.
- In addition to social media, the report finds that 80% of 18-year-olds in Portugal use the internet for education-and-self-development purposes, with 36% of young people having experienced various internet-related problems.
