All of society’s handwringing over screen time may be misplaced after all. According to a new survey by the Pew Research Center, American teenagers seem to prefer real life experience—at least as far as romance goes.
The national survey, released Oct. 1, looked at the romantic lives of teenagers aged 13 to 17. It found that a majority (67%) had never dated, and among those who had romantic experience, most had had it in real life. In fact, only 8% of teenagers said they’d met a partner online. For comparison, 57% of teenagers polled had met friends online.
These rates are likely to change as they grow up. Among adults, 38% of single Americans have used online dating, the Pew Research Center found.
While teenagers are rarely associated with tradition, other dating practices among the high school set can also seem somewhat old-fashioned. In terms of gender roles: While 69% of American boys say they have asked someone out in person, only 35% of girls say they’ve done the same.