Teen Social Media Use Is Skyrocketing, Pew Research Reveals

In a shift that will perhaps be unsurprising to many parents, a significant portion of American teens are reporting their use of certain social media sites as “almost constant,” according to a new study by Pew Research Center. The survey encompassed nearly 1,500 teens. YouTube continues to hold its position as the top platform among U.S. teens, leading for a second consecutive year. Specific findings include:

• A substantial 93% of teens admitted to using YouTube.
• This significantly outstrips TikTok’s usage, which stands at 63%.
• Snapchat follows closely behind TikTok with 60% usage.
• Instagram trails slightly, with 59% of teens using the platform.
• Facebook lags far behind, with a relatively small 33% usage among teens.

One-third of these young respondents said they find themselves on these platforms “almost constantly.” If that’s not startling enough, the percentage of teens reporting near-constant internet use has nearly doubled to 46% since 2015, when Pew first released its survey.

Older teens (15-17) are more likely to use most social media platforms than younger ones, with the exception of YouTube, which holds pretty consistent across age groups. Examining the report further, it’s clear that gender plays a role in platform preference: Girls are more likely to use Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, while boys gravitate toward YouTube, Twitter, and Reddit.

Despite recent controversies and lawsuits suggesting potential harm to young people’s mental health, teens continue to engage heavily with these platforms. Platforms like Instagram and Snapchat have shown overall growth since Pew’s 2015 report, while Facebook and Twitter saw a decline in teen users. Meanwhile, concerns about social media’s effects on the mental health of young users persist. In response to these concerns, platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, and more have started introducing features meant to protect their younger users.

However, the study also reveals a stark digital divide with 10% of the surveyed teens admitting they lack access to a desktop or laptop at home — a fact that not only affects their social media usage but academic opportunities as well.