Likes, Followers, and Filters: Examining Teenagers' Social Media Usage in the US
17-May-2023
The landscape of social media has changed significantly since 2014-15. TikTok has become increasingly popular, while Facebook has become less popular. These changes are likely because of a number of factors, including the rise of new platforms, the changing interests of teens, and the increasing scrutiny of social media companies.
The survey shows that YouTube is the most popular social media platform among teens in the United States. 95% of teens aged 13 to 17 said they have ever used YouTube. TikTok is the second most popular platform, with 67% of teens saying they have ever used it. Instagram and Snapchat are the third and fourth most popular platforms, with 62% and 59% of teens saying they have ever used them, respectively. Twitter, Twitch, WhatsApp, Reddit, and Tumblr are all used by smaller shares of teens.
The demographic makeup of teens who use social media varies depending on the platform. For example, teen girls are more likely than teen boys to use TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Meanwhile, boys are more likely to use Twitch and Reddit.
In addition to gender, race and ethnicity also play a role in teens’ social media usage. For example, Black and Hispanic teens are more likely than White teens to use TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp. These differences may be because of several factors, including cultural differences, access to technology, and marketing strategies.
Teens are using social media more frequently than ever before. In a recent survey, 97% of teens said they use the internet daily, and 46% said they use it almost constantly. This is up from 92% and 24%, respectively, in 2014-15.
Black and Hispanic teens are more likely than White teens to use the internet almost constantly. Older teens are also more likely than younger teens to use the internet almost constantly.
Of the top five social media platforms that teens use, YouTube and TikTok are the most popular. About three-quarters of teens visit YouTube at least daily, and 58% visit TikTok daily. About half of teens use Instagram and Snapchat at least daily.
A majority (55%) of teens say that they spend about the right amount of time on social media, while about a third (36%) say they spend too much time on social media. Just 8% of teens think they spend too little time on social media.
The survey also found that teens are divided on whether or not they would find it difficult to give up social media. About half of teens (54%) say it would be at least somewhat hard to give it up, while 46% say it would be at least somewhat easy. Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to express that it would be difficult to give up social media (58% vs. 49%). Conversely, a quarter of teen boys say giving up social media would be very easy, while 15% of teen girls say the same. Older teens also say they would have difficulty giving up social media. About six-in-ten teens aged 15 to 17 (58%) say giving up social media would be at least somewhat difficult to do. A smaller share of 13- to 14-year-olds (48%) think this would be difficult.
Source: Pew Research Center
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