By Michaela Gordoni
According to new research from Girl Scouts of America, 40% of girls ages 5 to 13 would rather skip a vacation than go somewhere with no internet access.
Over half (56%) said it was because they would be bored, while 46% said they feel pressure to have an online presence, PEOPLE reported.
Half of girls ages 11 to 13 feel like they have to be online; otherwise, they feel left out. Even 21% of girls aged 5 to 7 said they feel like they have to be online in order to connect with others.
Over half (52% of girls) say it’s hard to get attention from their parents because their parents are distracted by screens, and 64% of girls 8 to 10 say their parents pay more attention to their phones than their own kids.
Related: Silicon Valley Parents Don’t Give Their Kids Screens. Should You Follow Their Example?
“This research is an important reminder to parents, caregivers and girls whose first instinct — conscious or not — is often to reach for a device,” Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of Girl Scouts USA, said. “We know the power of real, in-person connection, and we also know the risks when girls spend too much time online comparing themselves to others or developing unhealthy habits.”
“When girls and their families have extra time on their hands, remember it’s okay to slow down,” she continued. “Embrace it and choose activities that spark curiosity, build resilience and support girls’ well-being.”
A recent study published by JAMA says screen addiction is closely linked to an increase of suicidal thoughts.
“It’s an important study and raising awareness about screen addiction,” said Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician who specializes in adolescent screen use at the University of California, San Francisco. “It shows that elements of addiction related to screen use are more strongly predictive of poorer mental health and even suicide risk compared to just screen time. So, I think that it provides more nuance.”
“One thing that was really striking to me is that, unfortunately, these symptoms of screen addictions are actually pretty common,” said Nagata.
The study found that 47.5% of 11-12 year olds said that “I lose track of how much I am using my phone,” 22.5% said, “I spend a lot of time thinking about social media apps or planning my use of social media apps” and 18.4% said “I use social media apps so I can forget about my problems.”
A World Health Organization study from 2024 examined 280,000 kids ages 11 to 15 across 44 countries and found that girls have higher levels of problematic social media use than boys. This might suggest girls are more vulnerable to online peer pressure.
Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said, “…digital literacy education is so important. Yet it remains inadequate in many countries, and where it is available, it often fails to keep pace with young people and rapidly evolving technology. We are seeing the consequences of this gap, with worse likely to come, unless governments, health authorities, teachers and parents recognize the root causes of the current situation and take steps to rectify it.”
These findings highlight young girls’ dependence on screens and need for healthy digital habits. But it starts at home — creating guidelines for how and when your family uses screens should be the first step.
Read Next: 4 Ways to Cut Your Children’s Screen Time in Half Without a Fight
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