Sizing Up the Social Habits of 2014 High School Grads

As high school graduation season comes to a close, millions of US teens are preparing to start a new chapter—and they’re probably chronicling it all on Facebook. Despite speculation that the social network is dead to teens, the vast majority of the class of 2014 remains active on the network.

According to June 2014 research from online review community Niche, 87% of 2014 high school graduates in the US used Facebook, and 61% of them checked their newsfeeds at least once per day. Instagram was the next favorite social network, with 66% of this year’s graduating class using the platform at least on occasion.

It’s likely much of that social networking activity took place within high school walls. An April 2014 study by McAfee found that nearly three-quarters of US students between the ages of 16 and 18 accessed their social media accounts while at school.

Younger high school students weren’t as likely to do this. Just 58% of 13- to 15-year-olds said they logged on to a social network while they were in school.

For those high school grads who are flocking the nest, the trouble of hiding online behavior from parents should cease. Two-thirds of 16- to 18-year-olds surveyed by McAfee reported they had hidden their online behavior from their parents by closing or minimizing a window when the adult walked in the room. Clearing browser history or using private browsing modes was even more popular, with 67% of older teens saying they had done this. Another 42% said they’d hidden or deleted instant messages or videos to keep adults from seeing what they were doing.

Courtesy of eMarketer