CNN study reveals how teens use social media

Hundreds of eighth graders allowed CNN to take a look at their social media feeds in a one of a kind study.

Over a 6 month period, these 13-year-olds commented or posted more than 87,000 times on Instagram, nearly 26,000 times on Twitter and 12,000 times on Facebook.

One third of them say they check social media more than 25 times a day on a typical weekend.

So why do they do it? 80% say they are bored, 71% say they want to connect with friends, 61% say they want to see if their posts are getting liked and they want to see the comments and 21% want to make sure no one is saying mean things about them.

CNN says the most critical finding is that almost all of the parents of those teens - 94% -say they underestimated the amount of fighting happening over social media.

The takeaway? Teens do benefit from parents who monitor their social media activities because that helps them ease the stress it can cause.

It's important for parents to remind kids that counting likes and keeping score isn't healthy.

But there is one bright spot - 40% of teens said social media makes them feel good about themselves and it can be a way to feel supported for positive leadership.