Colorado Teens Using Social Media More Than Ever, Study Finds

For many people, their teenage years are quite possibly some of the most formative in their entire lives, whether it was good or bad.

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Every generation of youngsters develops their own sense of identity, whether it be through things like music or the use of slang.
It’s also an incredibly volatile time when everything seems like the most important thing in the world.

Fortunately, after a few years in decline, it would appear that the mental health of Colorado teens is doing much better.

However, teenagers these days are growing up with internet access that far exceeds what we had in the past.

Even though I spent a lot of my teenage years with amazing internet access, I remember a time when it wasn’t as ever present in our lives. With that, I also remember a time before social media.

As it would turn out, not only have many of Colorado’s teenagers grown up almost fully in the age of social media, but their usage of it has increased a ton as well.

Young Teenagers in Colorado Using Social Media at Much Higher Rates

Axios recently found that compared to years past, young teenagers in Colorado are using social media more than ever.

Back in 2020, the average time spent on social media for Colorado teens aged 12 to 13 was sitting at 1.8 hours. 

In 2022, that number has started to balloon up to 2.4 hours.

On the other hand, teenagers between the ages of 14 to 15 have increased their time spent on social media from 2.3 hours to 2.5. 

Finally, the only age range that saw a drop was from 16 to 17. In 2020, they averaged 3.2 hours spent on social media. That number has dropped to 3.0 in 2024.

What Effect Does Social Media Have on Teenagers?

When it comes to what affects social media has on teenagers and their mental health, Yale Medicine says it’s significant.

Teenage years are a time where people start to measure their own self worth, and social media has been proven to lower people’s confidence and self worth significantly. 

It also affects emotional learning and regulation, and worsens teenager’s impulse control. 

Colorado will soon implement a new law that will look to warn social media users in Colorado under 18 about the negative effects it can have on them. 

Starting in 2026, users under 18 will get a pop-up if they have been on social media for more than an hour or when they are using it between 10pm to 6am.