The Smartphones Haven't Defeated Us. Yet.

New York Times

18-06-2025

Since the dawn of the television age, parents have struggled to limit or guide their children's screen time.
But with the arrival of smartphones that can — and do — go everywhere and with social media apps that teenagers now use for an average of five hours every day, many parents feel a sense of resignation. The struggle has been lost. Parents who try to delay giving a smartphone until high school or social media until 16 know that they'll face the plaintive cry from their children: 'But I'm the only one!'
To better understand the tensions over technology playing out in American families, we worked with the Harris Poll to conduct two surveys. As we reported last year, our survey of 1,006 members of Gen Z found that many young people feel trapped — tethered to digital products like TikTok and Snapchat. Nearly half of all participants expressed regret about having access to many of the most popular social media platforms.
Here we present the second part of our investigation: a nationally representative survey of 1,013 parents who have children under 18. The overall picture isn't any better. We find widespread feelings of entrapment and regret. Many parents gave their children smartphones and social media access early in their lives — yet many wish that social media had never been invented, and overwhelmingly they support new social norms and policies that would protect kids from online harms.
In our survey, 55 percent report that their children began to use a smartphone as a primary user by the age of 12, and 61 percent say the same for a tablet.
Share of children with device, by age group
75%
67%
61%
65%
Tablet
49%
55%
50
Smartphone
28%
25
26%
10%
5-year-olds and younger
6- to 9- year-olds
10- to 12- year-olds
13- to 17- year-olds
Share of children, by age group
75%
67%
61%
65%
55%
49%
50
Tablet
Smartphone
28%
25
26%
10%
5-year-olds and younger
6- to 9-year-olds
10- to 12-year-olds
13- to 17-year-olds
Source: Harris Poll
'When I think about my child's experience growing up, I wish ___ had never been invented'
25
50%
Mature online content
72%
Guns
62
TikTok
62
X / Twitter
62
Snapchat
60
Alcohol
57
Instagram
56
Social media
55
Facebook
53
ChatGPT
45
Messaging apps
44
Smartphones
38
YouTube
34
Video games
33
Location sharing tools
26
Streaming services
20
Basic mobile phones
20
Large vehicles
19
Television
17
Newspapers
15
Radio
14
Bicycles
9
25
50%
Mature online content
72%
Guns
62
TikTok
62
X / Twitter
62
Snapchat
60
Alcohol
57
Instagram
56
Social media
55
Facebook
53
ChatGPT
45
Messaging apps
44
Smartphones
38
YouTube
34
Video games
33
Location sharing tools
26
Streaming services
20
Basic mobile phones
20
Large vehicles
19
Television
17
Newspapers
15%
Radio
14%
Bicycles
9%
Source: Harris Poll
Parents restricting their child's access to smartphones until they are around 14 years old
Strongly support
Somewhat support
Strongly oppose
Neither
33%
32
22
9
Somewhat oppose
Parents restricting their child's access
to social media until at least age 16
40
33
19
6
A law raising the minimum age for social media use to 16 from 13
39
31
20
8
Schools enforcing a bell-to-bell 'phone-free' policy
33
30
16
13
8
Parents restricting their child's access to smartphones until they are around 14 years old
Strongly support
Somewhat support
Neither
Strongly oppose
33%
32
22
9
Somewhat oppose
Parents restricting their child's access to social media until at least age 16
40
33
19
6
A law raising the minimum age for social media use to 16 from 13
39
31
20
8
Schools enforcing a bell-to-bell 'phone-free' policy
33
30
16
13
8
Source: Harris Poll
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