Buenos Aires students average over 6 hours of daily smartphone use

A study conducted by the Ministry of Education of the City of Buenos Aires and the Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires (ITBA) reveals that secondary school students in the city spend an average of 6 hours and 10 minutes per day on their smartphones.

The research, titled “Monitoreo de tiempo de pantalla y salud mental en estudiantes de nivel secundario de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires,” surveyed 3,261 students between April and July. The findings indicate that four out of ten adolescents show at least one warning sign regarding socio-emotional well-being, including anxiety, depression, or daytime sleepiness.

Data shows that screen time increases with age; fourth-year students average 6 hours and 35 minutes daily, while first-year students average 5 hours and 44 minutes. The study also noted gender and socioeconomic disparities: female students use devices approximately 30 minutes more per day than males, and students from the most vulnerable socioeconomic sectors spend about an hour and a half more on screens daily than those in the highest quintile. TikTok was identified as the most used application among the youth surveyed.