In a newly-released report, Pew Research Center confirms what many have already suspected—that YouTube is now the platform of choice for U.S. teens. Its timeless charm continues to thrive despite fierce competition. The study is further evidence that TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat have become powerful, even dominant platforms with this demographic. They are fighting tooth and nail for your attention.
YouTube is the important part of this equation. What’s more, 84% of U.S. adults are on the platform, underscoring the visual platform’s popularity among all age demographics. By comparison, Facebook now commands the attention of triple the share of U.S. adults that Instagram does — 71% for Facebook vs. 50% for Instagram. TikTok’s newfound power TikTok has taken the world – and 37% of the American adult population – by storm, reflecting the platform’s quick ascendance to its current status.
The landscape for social media has shifted considerably since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in October 2022, when he rebranded the platform as X. This shift has brought with it new content moderation guidelines. Consequently, many right-leaning users are looking for other platforms thanks to an overall rightward political shift. This, combined with its less restrictive content moderation practices, has led X to find itself increasingly out-competed by platforms that provide positive user experiences and thriving communities.
Though YouTube is still the platform of choice for teens by a large margin, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat have all become serious contenders. This report shows just 21% of U.S. adults have interacted with X. This underscores how niche of an audience it has, especially in such a crowded field. Meanwhile, Threads and Bluesky have been picking up steam as they establish their own active communities. As it stands right now, just 8% of U.S. adults use Threads, and only 4% use Bluesky.
The rapidly diversifying social media landscape reflects changing user preferences – especially with younger users leading the way – and the tech industry’s ongoing experimentation with communication technology. Among other platforms, WhatsApp and Reddit play a key role, with 32% and 26% of U.S. adults using these platforms, respectively. Even Snapchat, a platform that’s extremely popular with the elusive young user, has captured one in four U.S. adults.