American teens prefer smartphones and social media to stimulants and drugs. A Polish?

US cigarette consumptionów, alcohol and hard drugsóamongód teenagersów ages 12-17 declined significantly between 2005 and 2015. Many sociologistsów associates this decline with a sharp increase in the time young people spend using smartphonesów. Psychologists, on the other hand, say that drug useóin and use of smartphonesóin social mediaóin and video games are linked by a similarly intense experience. It seems that American teens are so busy with their smartphones that they don’t have time to próuse of stimulants and drugsów. I wrote about this in my June article on Generation Z.

Let’s see what behaviors characterize teenagers in Poland.

The web is like a drug

From the survey „Youth 2016” of the CBOS Social Opinion Research Foundation conducted in 2017 shows that almost every teenager in Poland has access to a computer at home (99%) and uses the Internet via mobile devices (97%). The average time spent by teenagers on the Internet has increasedóing in just 3 years by almost an hour – to 4 hours and 2 minutes per day in 2016 (from 3 hours and 3 minutes in 2013). Increase inóInternet abuse rates – The risk of addiction was present in 25% of teenagersóin 2016, up from 3 hours and 3 minutes in 2013 – 21%.

Uses or drugs

Research „Alcohol and drug useóin school youth”, The survey conducted in our country in 2015 covered two cohorts of young people: those born in 1999 (age 15-16 at the time of the survey) and in 1997 (age 17-18 at the time of the survey).

They prove that amongóof Polish and American teenagersóin Poland, alcohol drinking is becoming less popular. There are significantly fewer young people in theód „gimbazy” who drink occasionally (in the period of 12 months preceding the survey) – decrease from 84.9% in 2003, to 71.7% in 2015, as well as those who drink alcohol regularly (last 30 days before the survey) – decreased from 65.8% in 2013, to 48.6% in 2015.

Alcohol consumption by studentsóin schoolóThe number of young Poles using soft and hard drugs in upper secondary schools has remained at a similar high level for several years – 92.7% drink occasionally, 92.7% regularly – 82.3% Studentsóin high schoolów, techniquesóin or vocational schools.

A similar picture can be observed when it comes to smoking, although it should be noted that far fewer teenagersów smoke than drink. The number of lower-secondary school studentsów giving up cigarettesóand tobacco – In the last year covered by the survey, over 73% of studentsóin the third year of middle school declared non-smoking.

Percentage of studentsóin schoolsóThe percentage of high school students declaring that they do not smoke has not exceeded 60% in the last two yearsóIn the periods covered by the survey.

Where to look for headóThe main reasons for this state of affairs? In vogue for healthy, active lifestyles and playing sportsóThe impact of the smoking ban in public places (enacted in 2010), and changing social norms that consider smoking to be unfashionable.

ZaróamongóIn the survey, both Polish and American teenagersóWe observe a reversal of theót from drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco. Unfortunately, in the odróin contrast to the U.S, In Poland, it is necessary to note the return ofót to the growing trend of experimenting with other psychoactive substances – inhalants (e.g. adhesives, varnishes, solvents) and soft and hard drugs. Interestingly, hard drugs are relatively more popular amongód younger adolescents – junior high school studentsó(less awareness of the effects ofóin side effects?) than among young peopleód studentsóin szkóof high school students.

The gambler’s soul

According to the already mentioned CBOS survey, the number of young PolesóIn the periods covered by the survey, hard drugs are relatively more popular among adolescents who take part in gambling (i.e. The percentage of adolescents who were addicted to drugs (e.g. Lotto, Keno, slot machines, Internet games or betting). Average expenditure per game in the last 12 months resultsóPLN 187. Wśród Polish teenagersóin those playing for money risk of gambling addiction has increased – in 2013 no problemó67.4% declared that they gambled, in 2016 only 60.9% of teenagers declared that they gambledów.

What conclusions can be drawn from this

The changing lifestyle of young people is influenced by the growing role of technology in their lives, more time spent online, Internet abuse. We observe polarization of behavior. On the one hand, there is the visible fashion for not smoking and giving up alcohol, healthy eating, physical activity and sportsóin, on the other hand – the disturbing tendency to „doing nothing” as a form of leisure activity, staying at home longer, and going out less oftenóThe data will allow us to optimise and rebuild. This was confirmed by last year’s CBOS surveys – number of teenagersóin whichóusers choose to spend their leisure time „doing nothing” (sleeping, lying down, resting) increased from 24% in – in 2013, to 27% – w 2016. At the same time, the percentage of teenagersóin going out to the clubóThe share of adspends on mobile devices decreased from 29% to 22%.

Although teenagers in Poland are giving up drinking and smoking, unfortunately, the percentage of those whoóPeople are gambling and using drugs.

Turning the green subóThe analysis of conversion paths (more on that in a moment) shows that mobileórym króThe fact that the adverts are based on large communities and artificial, shallow relations between their members does not do our teenagers any good. The increasing amount of time spent alone (or in solitude), on the one hand – yes, it is a field for personalised communication, conversational marketing, etc., but on the other hand – encourages a tendency to gambling addiction, as well as experimenting with drugs, which eventually leads to loosening of contactóin with real people and the disappearance of social skills, depression or personality disorders.

There was a Polish movie in Canal+ about a boy whoóhe life in the virtual world has driven to madness. If you have seen this film, you know how important róbalance and moderation.

When working on a strategy of communication with teenagers, it is worth to think not only about technology, the Internet and virtual emotions, but also about contact with a real person, on a green subóof not drinking and smoking (of course without any stimulants, at least until the time when teenagers cross the threshold of adulthood).