The 2026 Common Sense Media Census: Tech and Media Use by Tweens and Teens

In the five years since our last Census on how tweens and teens engage with tech and media, the digital landscape has changed significantly. 

The 2026 Common Sense Media Census: Tech and Media Use by Tweens and Teens includes updated age ranges and, for the first time, measures AI use as part of young people's overall digital media environment.

We surveyed a nationally representative group of 1,211 U.S. tweens and teens (age 9 to 17) to understand how they spend their free time across today's media landscape, including time with television, online videos, short-form content, gaming, social media, and generative AI tools such as chatbots and companions. We also examined how young people feel about their time with screen media—whether they're spending too much time or just the right amount. 

Four patterns stand out in this year's Census: Platforms and products intended for older users, like AI chatbots and social media, are already popular with children under 13; tweens' and teens' days are crowded with screen media, leaving little time for other activities; heavy use doesn't always mean heavy enjoyment; and digital divides by household income persist in computer access.  

Key findings include: 

• Personal smartphone ownership nearly doubles from age 9 to 10, and crosses the halfway point at age 11, a milestone that may line up with the transition to middle school. By age 17, ownership is nearly universal. 
• A typical teen spends about eight hours a day on screen media for entertainment, while a typical tween spends about five hours, and more than 4 in 10 teens are spending 10 or more hours a day. 
• TV and video, including short-form content, is the single biggest chunk of that time for both age groups, with short-form video like TikTok and YouTube Shorts now a daily habit for tweens and teens, the highest daily participation rate of any activity measured. 
• Across most media types, far more youth use a type of content than those who say they enjoy it "a lot." AI shows the widest gap: 65% of all youth use AI in their free time, but only 11% of teen users and 15% of tween users say they enjoy it "a lot." 
• Digital divides persist: Phone ownership is fairly even across income levels, but computer access is not, which could impact access to learning resources and opportunities.

More resources:

• Learn more about our findings and why they matter.

• Read our parent resources on talking to kids about media use and screen time.

• Download our family tech planner.

• View the full survey questionnaire.

• Sign up for our newsletters with the latest research and resources on preparing and protecting kids in the digital era.