While teens may often be glued to their phones for recreation, a new poll finds that a large share of them feel they learn better sitting in a classroom with their teacher.
Sixty percent of teens say that online learning is worse than in-person learning, and nearly one fifth say it鈥檚 鈥渕uch worse.鈥�
Even so, the vast majority of teens say they don鈥檛 think classes should be taking place fully in person this fall.
The nationally representative , found that 42 percent of teens think school should be fully remote and 37 percent feel their school should follow a hybrid schedule. Only 19 percent say classes should take place fully in-person. Common Sense Media is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that studies the impact of technology on children and young people. Common Sense Media partnerned with SurveyMonkey to poll 890 teens between Aug. 20 and Aug 27.
Here鈥檚 What Teens Are Worried About
Nearly seven in 10 teens are worried鈥攅ither somewhat or very鈥攖hat they or someone they know will get sick with COVID-19 because of in-person schooling.
How worried depends on teens鈥� race and ethnicity. Eighty-two percent of Hispanic teens said they are worried about getting sick, while only 62 percent of white teens are. Seventy-nine percent of Asian teens and those that fall into other racial and ethnic groups are concerned about themselves or someone they know getting sick and 71 percent of Black students say the same.
Most teens don鈥檛 have much trust in their schools taking the necessary steps to keep them safe from the coronavirus. While 30 percent said they trusted their school 鈥渁 lot,鈥� 52 percent said they trusted their school 鈥渁 little鈥� and 17 percent said 鈥渘ot at all鈥�.
But teens are also worried about the downfalls of remote schooling, both academically and socially.
Sixty-one percent say they are concerned about falling behind academically because of the pandemic, a fear that is especially pronounced among Asian and Latino teens鈥�67 and 79 percent, respectively.
A little over half are worried they will lose out on scholarships and exactly half are concerned the pandemic will hurt their college or job prospects.
Fifty-six percent say they are very or somewhat worried they will lose connections with their friends.
Those numbers are nearly identical to how teens felt in a survey by Common Sense last March. However, slightly fewer teens now say they feel 鈥渕ore connected than usual鈥� to their family than they did in March (30 percent compared to 40 percent).
In terms of what teens believe will be the biggest academic challenges facing them this year, 42 percent said learning remotely, 37 percent said uncertainty around the pandemic, and 32 percent said emotional upheaval.
Many also say they expect getting access to their teachers and reliable internet will be significant roadblocks to their schooling鈥攁round one third and one quarter respectively.
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