YouTube Dominates Teen Social Media Usage, Far Ahead of TikTok

YouTube Dominates Teen Social Media Usage, Far Ahead of TikTok

By Marcus Bennett

December 13, 2024 at 11:40 PM

A comprehensive Pew Research Center survey reveals YouTube's continued dominance among teen social media users, with 90% of teens using the platform regularly - slightly down from 95% in 2022.

TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat maintain strong positions, with approximately 60% of teens using TikTok and Instagram, and 55% using Snapchat. Meanwhile, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) have experienced significant declines, with Facebook usage dropping from 71% in 2014-2015 to just 32% currently.

Bar graph: teen social media preferences

Bar graph: teen social media preferences

Key findings from the survey of 1,391 U.S. teens include:

  • WhatsApp usage increased 6% since 2022, reaching 23% of teens
  • Reddit maintains steady usage at 14%
  • Meta's Threads platform shows minimal adoption at 6%
  • About half of teens use Instagram or Snapchat daily
  • One-third of teens use at least one major platform "almost constantly"

Notable demographic trends:

Gender differences:

  • Girls are more likely to use TikTok constantly (19% vs. 13% for boys)
  • Boys show higher constant YouTube usage (19% vs. 11% for girls)
  • Snapchat usage is now similar between genders (13% boys, 12% girls)

Racial and income disparities:

  • Black (28%) and Hispanic (25%) teens show higher constant TikTok usage compared to white teens (8%)
  • Facebook usage is higher in lower-income households (45% in households earning under $30,000 annually)
  • TikTok is more popular among lower-income teens (73%) compared to higher-income households (59%)

The survey was conducted between September 18 and October 10, 2024, through Ipsos' KnowledgePanel, representing U.S. teens aged 13-17 living with their parents.

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