A day in the digital life of a teenager

The two classes interviewed attend the 3rd secondary school in Zurich - on the Zürichberg and in Zurich North. What all 33 pupils have in common is that they want to decide for themselves who they spend time with - including online. They use their digital media specifically for this purpose. Because every message is a confirmation that they are thinking about each other; it conveys a sense of connection and shows the other person: You matter. No matter how banal the content may seem to us adults. That's why: without consistent rules, none of the teenagers surveyed would voluntarily put their mobile phones down. From morning to night Without exception, all of the teenagers surveyed let their mobile phones wake them up in the morning and spend five to 30 minutes checking messages - on WhatsApp, Snapchat and Instagram. And in the evening, they only put their phones away before going to sleep.

Teenagers also use their smartphones at night

More than half don't even leave it unattended overnight - it stays switched on next to the bed and those who wake up at night look at the display. All those who place their mobile phone far away and set it to flight mode cite their parents as the reason: «I have to. My parents control it!» Interestingly, the young people appreciate this because they realise that they can relax better this way. On the way to school and at home The teenagers surveyed enjoy the walk home out of reach of adults. They then chat in the real world, tease each other, test each other out and mess around. They hold their smartphones in their hands to regularly check messages and keep each other up to date.

Homework is often
often accompanied by WhatsApp or
Facetime.

However, the most important thing for them remains the time spent together face to face. Homework is often accompanied by WhatsApp or Facetime - whether as a distraction or for support. Around half of the boys immerse themselves in the world of games; some meet up in multi-player games. Girls prefer series or make-up tutorials. And around a third of all teenagers surveyed read a book or newspaper. Listening to music is also popular. All of them say that they appreciate a dinner at the family table to talk about experiences, interests, sports or the TV programme. Even if most of them admit to having their smartphone to hand. For parents and adults, this means that instead of worrying about how our children organise their time, we should spend time together and discuss the challenges of digital media.

Tips

• As parents, you are role models: Ask your child how they perceive and assess your media behaviour.
• Point out alternatives: How can you deal with boredom? What offers does your child use for different questions? What does it do when it's not doing so well? And you yourself?
• Who am I: Encourage non-media activities that are easy for your child and for which they receive recognition. Also support your child in learning how to deal with failure.

On Medienstark you will find tips and interactive learning modules for the competent use of digital media in everyday family life.