A new report from Daniel Cox, director of the Survey Center on American Life and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), examines the everyday experiences of the country’s teenagers, revealing key insights into adolescent girls’ social media use, hobbies, life satisfaction, and future goals.
Using data from a sample of teenagers ages 13 to 17 who participated in AEI’s 2026 American Teenagers Survey, Dr. Cox found that only 40 percent of older teen girls (ages 16 and 17) say they are very or completely satisfied with their lives. Less than half of older teen girls said they feel excited about their lives at least a few times a week.
Although only one-third of teenagers overall said they have read a book for fun in the past week, girls are more likely than boys to read for pleasure. Some 45 percent of younger teen girls (ages 13 to 15) said they read books for fun at least once a week, compared to 32 percent of similarly aged boys. Only 8 percent of younger teen girls say they never read for fun, compared to 26 percent of younger teen boys.
All teenagers spend hours online each day; however, teen girls raised by parents without college degrees are on more social media apps, spend more hours using them, and are less inclined to cut back than girls with college-educated parents. Overall, teen girls who are more active on social media reported less sleep, lower rates of reading, and lower feelings of personal satisfaction.
When asked about their future goals, 60 percent of teen girls said they plan on attending a four-year college or university, compared to just 36 percent of their male peers. Girls with college-educated parents were the most likely group to express optimism regarding their future success, with 71 percent believing they will own a home and 70 percent believing they will find a rewarding career. Notably, boys and girls differ in their opinions regarding marriage and children. Some 53 percent of teen boys said getting married and having children are critical components of a good life. Only 39 percent of teen girls said the same.
“Most teenagers do not have grandiose aspirations for their lives but rather seek to prioritize stability and familiarity. Coming of age at a time of so much technological change and amid cultural upheaval and political uncertainty informs their current outlook. Yet it is their technology use that makes their formative experiences so distinctive from previous generations,” writes Dr. Cox
“Although teenagers are starting to recognize the problem of excessive screen time, many are not actively trying to set limits for themselves. This may not be an issue for everyone. Moderate social media use does not appear to jeopardize teenagers’ well-being, but heavy users report lower satisfaction with their lives. Schools and parents can limit social media access, but there is an emerging educational divide in teen technology use. Whether the technology is video games or social media, heavy users are more concentrated in noncollege households, a trend that may perpetuate the disadvantages these teens already face.”