Children and teens from the United States who spent more than four hours daily using electronics devices before and during the coronavirus pandemic according to parents as of June 2020, by age group
Characteristic
Prior to COVID-19
Since COVID-19
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As of June 2020, ** percent of parents to U.S. teens aged 14 to 17 years stated that their kids were spending more than four hours per day on electronic devices since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only ** percent of responding parents stated that their teens had used electronic devices daily for more than four hours before the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the pandemic triggered a rise in the use of electronic devices among American children under 13 and teenagers with screentime now double that of what it used to be across all age groups.
YouTube, Netflix and Instagram dominate
In an ongoing survey between 2015 and 2020 it was reported that the most popular video platforms among teens in the U.S. were Netflix and YouTube, and the pandemic has done little to shift that. Cable TV viewership continued to decline throughout 2020, while Hulu rose in popularity during this time. Meanwhile, despite a slight drop in viewership Netflix and YouTube retained their positions as the top two video services after the onset of the pandemic. YouTube and Instagram were also named the most popular social media channels among teens and young adults, as of the third quarter of 2020. Due to their booming popularity, it is no wonder that advertisers have been increasingly targeting these networks, with social media add spend having been on the rise each year since 2017. The biggest growth surge has come from mobile advertising, while spend on desktop advertising has remained nearly the same.
Texting and phone calls most preferred during lockdown
As most of the world entered lockdown during the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic in April 2020, teens in the U.S. were asked which technologies they had used to virtually connect with friends and family during this time. 'Texting' was the most preferred method, named by over ** percent followed by phone calls. Meanwhile, video chat and social media came in third.
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eMarketer. (November 4, 2020). Children and teens from the United States who spent more than four hours daily using electronics devices before and during the coronavirus pandemic according to parents as of June 2020, by age group [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 25, 2026, from /statistics/1189204/us-teens-children-screen-time-daily-coronavirus-before-during/
eMarketer. "Children and teens from the United States who spent more than four hours daily using electronics devices before and during the coronavirus pandemic according to parents as of June 2020, by age group." Chart. November 4, 2020. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 25, 2026. /statistics/1189204/us-teens-children-screen-time-daily-coronavirus-before-during/
eMarketer. (2020). Children and teens from the United States who spent more than four hours daily using electronics devices before and during the coronavirus pandemic according to parents as of June 2020, by age group. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 25, 2026. /statistics/1189204/us-teens-children-screen-time-daily-coronavirus-before-during/
eMarketer. "Children and Teens from The United States Who Spent More than Four Hours Daily Using Electronics Devices before and during The Coronavirus Pandemic According to Parents as of June 2020, by Age Group." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 4 Nov 2020, /statistics/1189204/us-teens-children-screen-time-daily-coronavirus-before-during/
eMarketer, Children and teens from the United States who spent more than four hours daily using electronics devices before and during the coronavirus pandemic according to parents as of June 2020, by age group ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/1189204/us-teens-children-screen-time-daily-coronavirus-before-during/ (last visited July 25, 2026)
Children and teens from the United States who spent more than four hours daily using electronics devices before and during the coronavirus pandemic according to parents as of June 2020, by age group [Graph], eMarketer, November 4, 2020. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1189204/us-teens-children-screen-time-daily-coronavirus-before-during/