An in-depth look at US teenagers and social media in 2022: 95% say they use YouTube, 67% use TikTok, 62% use Instagram, 59% use Snapchat, and 32% use Facebook
TikTok has established itself as one of the top online platforms for U.S. teens, while the share of teens who use Facebook has fallen sharply
The pattern was not a one-off survey result: Pew’s later 2023 teen-platform survey again placed YouTube and TikTok ahead of Facebook, with Instagram and Snapchat still serving substantial teen audiences.
First-order effects
TikTok becomes a core teen-reach platform alongside YouTube, changing the competitive benchmark for Instagram and Snapchat from retaining established social users to matching a major short-video destination.
Facebook is the immediate loser in youth relevance: its reported teen usage trails every other named major platform in the survey.
Second-order effects
Instagram’s reported efforts to favor content that brings teens back to the app become more consequential as it competes directly with TikTok for the same audience rather than relying on its earlier teen lead.
YouTube’s continued lead gives it the broadest teen distribution among the surveyed services, while TikTok’s rise fragments the audience that Facebook once reached more centrally.
Third-order effects
If the 2022 and 2023 pattern persists, teen social media will be structured around a durable YouTube-TikTok lead, with Instagram and Snapchat competing for differentiated engagement and Facebook occupying a smaller youth role.
Platform competition for younger users is likely to center increasingly on recommendation-driven content and retention mechanics, as Instagram’s campaign to win teens back indicates.
The trend: US teen platform use is consolidating around video-led, recommendation-driven services while Facebook’s youth audience recedes.
Only 23 percent of teens say they use Twitter, meaning that we are safe from them here. Their cruel barbs, their silent judgment https://www.pewresearch.org/ ... https://twitter.com/...
One of our most important and popular surveys is updated today: Teens and tech adoption. Some headlines: TikTok ascends; Facebook falls; YouTube hits 95% usage - @pewinternet report https://www.pewresearch.org/ ... https://twitter.com/...
to echo a point @profgalloway made on @jonfavs' podcast this weekend, YouTube and TikTok have a literally unfathomable amount of influence with young people relative to more traditional channels https://www.pewresearch.org/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Our new report details the shares of teens ages 13-17 in the U.S. who say they ever use: YouTube: 95% TikTok: 67% Instagram: 62% Snapchat: 59% Facebook: 32% Twitter: 23% Twitch: 20% WhatsApp: 17% Reddit: 14% Tumblr: 5% https://www.pewresearch.org/ ... https://twitter.com/...
The decline in the percentage of young people who use Twitter gives me hope for this nation. But we need to force TikTok to sell to an American company. https://twitter.com/...
Absolutely armchair quarterbacking here from outside the arena but this makes Facebook look like one of the worst led products of all time. Zuckerberg showing less foresight than the Once-ler. https://twitter.com/...
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The drop off in Facebook use among teens has been well-documented, but goodness that's fairly dramatic. And despite all the attention Tiktok gets as the preferred Gen Z platform. Far more regularly use Youtube. https://twitter.com/...
NEW: What social media platforms do Black, Hispanic and White teens (13-17 year olds) use? YouTube, TikToc, Instagram and Snapchat are used by more than half. https://www.pewresearch.org/ ... @pewinternet, @pewidentity, @pewresearch https://twitter.com/...
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Chart of the day: The demographic breakdown of the teens who use key platforms. Some fascinating differences by gender, age, race/ethnicity, household income and community type - @pewinternet @pewresearch https://www.pewresearch.org/ ... https://twitter.com/...
19% of all U.S. teens say they use YouTube almost constantly, compared with 16% of all teens who say the same about TikTok, 15% who say the same about Snapchat, and 10% who say the same about Instagram. Just 2% use Facebook almost constantly. https://www.pewresearch.org/ ... http…
Our new survey of American teenagers ages 13 to 17 finds TikTok has rocketed in popularity since its North American debut several years ago. 67% of teens in the U.S. say they ever use TikTok, with 16% of all teens saying they use it almost constantly. https://www.pewresearch.org/…
New teens and #socialmedia data: 46% of teens say they are online “almost constantly” and portions of them use major tech platforms that frequently - @pewresearch https://www.pewresearch.org/ ... https://twitter.com/...