Facebook, Messenger and Instagram apps are displayed on an iPhone. A new statewide survey in Colorado teens finds the youngest are echoing the behaviors of their older counterparts, a change that appears to be linked to increased social media use.
The survey is conducted every two years by Rise Above Colorado , which describes itself as a statewide prevention organization which helps “youth make empowered, healthy choices.”
There is some good news: It found most Colorado youth are not using substances.
But younger adolescents seem to face grown-up challenges earlier. Those 12 to 13 years old are feeling less connected to friends and their school community. They’re spending more time on social media. They’re more likely to have used marijuana and vaped, according to the survey. "Connection crisis"
“We are facing a connection crisis,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser in an interview with CPR News. He noted the U.S. Surgeon General has recently spotlighted the devastating impact of loneliness and isolation . “We have an epidemic of loneliness and a youth mental health crisis.”
The data seems to strongly back that up. The percentage of teens who feel they are supported by their friends has dropped sharply since 2020, from 80 percent in 2020 to 76 percent in 2022 to 66 percent in 2024. The percentage of teens who feel welcomed and accepted by students and adults at their school has declined significantly since 2022 too, from 65 percent in 2022 to 59 percent this year. Likewise, the percentage of the teens surveyed who said they connected with people outside their school fell to 57 percent in 2024 from 60 percent in 2020.
Weiser said when teens are disconnected from peers and spending a lot of time on social media, they often turn to using substances at higher rates. First vaping starts younger
The survey found the average age when teens first take up vaping has dropped from 14.7 in 2018 to 13.2 in 2024. A third of those who vaped said they first did before the age of 13. And flavored products are central to the experience: the vast majority said they […]
Survey: Colorado teens use social media more and at a younger age
