The stereotypical teenager has their nose in their phone constantly, but what about adults? Do they really spend any less time using their electronics than their children do?

In reality, they don’t. In fact, according to a Nielsen Report,  adults aged 35-49 generally spend more time on their phones and computers than younger generations. Adults are just as guilty of being addicted to electronics as teenagers are.

Social media sites are popular with teenagers who can’t go more than a minute without checking up on their friends to see what’s happening, but adults check their email just as religiously. The Nielsen Report also found that the average adult spends more time checking their email than their children check social media, even on vacation. Things as important as family dinners have been taken over by technology where it is shown that 45 percent of adults use their phone during meal time, when  only 38 percent of teenagers reach for their mobile devices.

Society unfairly points to teens when it comes to the topic of technology addiction, and while it is true that technology is an important aspect of teens daily lives, it doesn’t mean they use it any more than the older generation. Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram have recently become overrun by parents who love to show off their kids and keep in touch with their friends. According to a report produced by Informate Mobile Intelligence in 2015, adults generally check their social media sites more than teens do everyday.

It would be fair to say that all generations are addicted to technology. It’s unfair, however, to keep saying that teens are the only obsessive users. Yes, they do spend too much time on social media, but not as much as adults. Yes, they check their phones multiple times a day, but so do adults. A change needs to be made in the way we think about teenagers’ relationship with technology.