Teens, internet and dating

A recent study by the Pew Research Center comes to break some myths about online dating and the role of technology before, during, and after a teen relationship.

Fact #1: Only 8% of teens have met a partner online.

Fact #2: Facebook is by far the most preferred social network for online hookups (46 mentions), compared to second-ranked Instagram (8 mentions).

Fact #3: Only 28% of teens search for info about their potential/current/former partner online.

Fact #4: 55% of teens like to flirt with possible partners in person, while only 10% of teens send sexy or flirty pictures or videos to their partners.

Fact #5: 35% of all teen girls end up blocking or unfriending someone online because of aggressive and uncomfortable flirting on social media. Only 16% of the teen boys do the same.

Fact #6: 52% of teens prefer to ask for dates in person, 24% via text message, 9% via a message on a social networking site.

Fact #7: Text messaging dominates the daily communication between teen romantic partners, followed by phone calls, instant messaging, and only then in-person conversations.

Fact #8: 70% of teens felt closer to their significant other because of exchanges or conversations they had online or by text messages.

Fact #9: 78% of teens consider that breaking up with someone in person is the right thing to do. 31% consider it acceptable to do it by phone, 12% via text message.

After you break up is where all the madness starts

Fact #10: Once broken up, girls tend to block or unfriend former partners more than boys, 44% compared to 31%.

Fact #11: After breaking up, 36% of teens send a very large number of texts in a short period of time.

Fact #12: After breaking up, 4% of teens downloaded tracking data from their former partner's phone.

Fact #13: After breaking up, 8% of teens sent embarrassing pictures of their former partners to other people.

Fact #14: After breaking up, 10% of teens deleted or modified their social media profiles accordingly.

Fact #15: After breaking up, 11% of teens accessed their former partner's online accounts or mobile phone.

Fact #16: After breaking up, 10% of teens sent messages to other persons, pretending to be their former partner.

Fact #17: 31% of teens say they are being checked up multiple times per day by their current or former romantic partners.

Fact #18: 22% of teens have been called names, humiliated, and insulted via the Internet or by phone call by their former partners.

Fact #19: 16% of teens were forced to remove former partners from their social media accounts by their current boyfriend/girlfriend.

Fact #20: 15% of teens have been pressured into unwanted sexual activities by their partners via the Internet or by phone.