These days, young people are glued to their social media like never before. On an average school day, they're spending way more time chatting with friends online compared to back in 2009. An hour and 3 minutes more per day in 2021 to be precise!

The pandemic had a role to play in this. In 2020, there was a sudden surge of 28 extra minutes spent on social media. And guess what? That trend didn't just reverse, or even stall, in 2021 when young people were able to restart chatting in person more freely. It actually increased by another 10 minutes. So, it's safe to say that the pandemic left a lasting mark on the way young people use social media.

Not only are young people spending more time on social media, there are also some intriguing gender differences in what they actually do. Girls' most common online behaviour is posting supportive messages, spreading those positive vibes. On the other hand, boys are more into posting videos, sharing their adventures and creations with the world.¹