Almost half (46%) of American teens say they are online “almost constantly,” showing the impact digital connections have on their lives, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of teens aged 13 to 17. The study highlights YouTube’s dominance, with 90% of teens utilising the platform and 73% engaging daily.
TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat follow as other widely used platforms. The survey shows that around 60% of teens report using TikTok and Instagram, while 55% use Snapchat, highlighting these apps as staples of teen digital culture.
However, not all platforms are thriving. Facebook has seen a dramatic decline in teen users over the past decade, dropping from 71% in 2014 to 32% today. Similarly, X (formerly Twitter) continues its downward trend, with only 17% of teens using it—down from 33% a decade ago and 23% as recently as 2022.
While most platforms have consistently become popular among teens, some new dynamics are emerging. WhatsApp, for example, has grown in teen adoption, with 23% now using it, up six percentage points since 2022. Reddit usage has held steady at 14%, while Meta’s latest offering, Threads, has made little impact—only 6% of teens report using the app since its 2023 launch.
These findings showcase how deeply social media and online platforms are embedded in teens’ daily lives. Most teens now own smartphones, which give them constant access to social media and reinforce their near-constant online presence.
As platforms like YouTube and TikTok dominate, while others like Facebook and X fade, the data paints a picture of how the preferences of younger generations are shaping the future of digital connectivity.