Text description: Adolescents online
Infographic: How adolescents interact with close friends
- Mainly saw their friends face-to-face
- age 14–15 - 64%
- age 16–17 - 55%
- Mainly interacted with friends using electronic devices
- age 14–15 - 5%
- age 16–17 - 7%
- Did both equally
- age 14–15 - 31%
- age 16–17 - 39%
Figure 1: Interaction with close friends at age 16–17 by subgroup
Anxiety
- Elevated symptoms
- Mainly face-to-face - 47.3%
- Both equally - 42.2%
- Mainly via devices - 10.5%
- No elevated symptoms
- Mainly face-to-face - 56.2%
- Both equally - 37.7%
- Mainly via devices - 6.1%
Depression
- Elevated symptoms
- Mainly face-to-face - 48.5%
- Both equally - 43.0%
- Mainly via devices - 8.6%
- No elevated symptoms
- Mainly face-to-face - 58.6%
- Both equally - 35.6%
- Mainly via devices - 5.8%
Autism
- Autism
- Mainly face-to-face - 49.7%
- Both equally - 34.4%
- Mainly via devices - 15.9%
- No autism
- Mainly face-to-face - 55.0%
- Both equally - 39.0%
- Mainly via devices - 6.0%
Infographic - How comfortable do adolescents feel online?
It's easier to be myself online
- Male
- agree - 15%
- disagree - 51%
- Female
- agree - 14%
- disagree - 53%
- All
- agree - 15%
- disagree - 52%
During difficult times, I go online less often
- Male
- agree - 26%
- disagree - 36%
- Female
- agree - 36%
- disagree - 26%
- All
- agree - 31%
- disagree - 31%
During difficult times, going online makes me feel better
- Male
- agree - 26%
- disagree - 33%
- Female
- agree - 20%
- disagree - 42%
- All
- agree - 23%
- disagree - 37%
Figure 2: Level of agreement with statements about 'being online' by specific groups of adolescents
It's easier to be myself online
- All adolescents
- disagree - 52.0%
- agree - 14.5%
- Autism
- Yes:
- disagree - 36.1%,
- agree - 26.3%
- No
- disagree - 53.4%
- agree - 14.0%
- Anxiety symptoms
- Elevated: disagree 38.1%, agree 24.3%
- Not elevated: disagree 55.1%, agree 12.3%
- Depressive symptoms
- Elevated: disagree 43.6%, agree 20.3%
- Not elevated: disagree 57.9%, agree 10.3%
During difficult times, going online makes me feel better
- All adolescents:
- disagree - 37.3%,
- agree - 14.5%
- Autism
- Yes
- disagree - 28.7%
- agree - 48.3%
- No
- disagree - 37.4%
- agree - 21.3%
- Anxiety symptoms
- Elevated
- disagree 38.3%
- agree 28.0%
- Not elevated
- disagree - 37.1%
- agree - 21.8%
- Depressive symptoms
- Elevated
- disagree - 36.7%
- agree - 27.4%
- Not elevated
- disagree - 38.0%
- agree - 19.6%
Figure 3: Frequency of use of social networking sites by sex between ages 12-13 and 16-17
Almost daily
- Males
- age 12–13 (2012) - 28%
- age 14–15 (2014) - 57%
- age 16–17 (2016) - 78%
- Females
- age 12–13 (2012) - 41%
- age 14–15 (2014) - 73%
- age 16–17 (2016) - 87%
Once/twice per week
- Males
- age 12–13 (2012) - 19%
- age 14–15 (2014) - 18%
- age 16–17 (2016) - 11%
- Females
- age 12–13 (2012) - 18%
- age 14–15 (2014) - 14%
- age 16–17 (2016) - 8%
Less often/never
- Males
- age 12–13 (2012) - 53%
- age 14–15 (2014) - 24%
- age 16–17 (2016) - 11%
- Females
- age 12–13 (2012) - 40%
- age 14–15 (2014) - 13%
- age 16–17 (2016) - 5%
Figure 4: Mean trajectories of elevated depressive symptoms by frequency of SNS use from ages 12-13 to 16-17
Almost daily
- age 12–13 (2012) - 18.5%
- age 14–15 (2014) - 27.4%
- age 16–17 (2016) - 39.5%
Once/twice per week
- age 12–13 (2012) - 18.4%
- age 14–15 (2014) - 20.9%
- age 16–17 (2016) - 34.2%
Less often/never
- age 12–13 (2012) - 17.5%
- age 14–15 (2014) - 17.1
- age 16–17 (2016) - 27.8%
Total sample
- age 12–13 (2012) - 18.3%
- age 14–15 (2014) - 24.0%
- age 16–17 (2016) - 35.8%
Figure 5: Predicted percentage of adolescents with mental health problems by experiences of cyberbullying (age 16–17)
Elevated depressive symptoms
- Victim of cyberbullying - 46.2%
- Non-victim of cyberbullying - 33.3%
Elevated anxiety symptoms
- Victim of cyberbullying - 21.8%
- No cyberbullying - 14.7%
