Common Sense Media

In 2018, Common Sense conducted a national survey and focus groups to understand the challenges and promise of technology use in the classroom for learning. Teachers across the US were asked about the use of educational technology with students in their classrooms, and issues of access emerged:

Common Sense Media, Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, Center for Digital Democracy, and over a dozen organizations called upon the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether Facebook has engaged in unfair or deceptive practices in violation of Sec 5 of the FTC Act and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Advocates are concerned that Facebook employed unfair practices by charging children for purchases made without parental consent and often without parental awareness.

This survey is the second wave of an ongoing study tracking social media use among American teenagers: how often they use social media such as Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook; their attitudes about social media’s role in their lives; experiences they have on social media; and how social media makes them feel. As such, it offers a unique opportunity to observe changes in social media use over time, and to deepen our understanding of the role of social media in teens’ lives. Some key findings: