I’m a high school student working on my Math Sterling Scholar application. As part of my project, I conducted a survey and discovered two major correlations:
First, we discovered that high schoolers who spent a lot of time on social media and video games were much more likely to use drugs and pornography. While the data doesn’t show which behavior caused the other, it does indicate a strong correlation between social media/video game use and drug/porn use.
Second, there was a strong correlation between having a dad present during the high school years and achieving a good education and income later in life. *The data did show a percentage of people who didn't have dads but were still very successful. Personally I think father figures are very important as well.* Interestingly, having a dad physically present seemed more important than feeling you could openly talk with him. When my dad saw this, he said, “That gives me hope as a dad—that showing up and trying is more important than being perfect.”
To collect this data, I partnered with Ever Accountable to survey 400 random Americans. We asked questions about their high school experiences, looking for links to drug/porn use and future financial success. I didn’t know what the data would reveal until I calculated the correlations. I was also interested to see that almost 40% of Americans used pornography in high school and 34% used drugs.
This data suggests that social media and video games can lead to harmful habits, so it’s important to use them sparingly. My parents always limited our screen time, and I’m grateful they did. Everyone should be aware that overuse now can cause bigger problems later on.
-Jaden Patterson
North Sanpete High School
Correlations, raw data, and python code: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vy8GSkJQPBk_xsGfnDyr0dLhbx9WsiZwbSsErL1XXmw/edit?usp=sharing
