A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center revealed the changing social media landscape among teenagers, with nearly half of them reporting being online most of the time. Teens are moving away from X/Twitter and Facebook and continue to embrace China's TikTok as their platform.
Pew Research Center latest researchThe study, which involved nearly 1,400 young people between the ages of 13 and 17, revealed some interesting trends regarding social media usage among young people. The most surprising finding was that nearly half of participants reported being online most of the time, up from just a quarter five years ago. This trend highlights growing concern among parents and experts about the potential impact of excessive internet use on teenagers.
Despite the overall increase in internet usage, the study also found that traditional social media platforms are losing appeal among teens. YouTube, which remains the most popular platform, saw its user base decline from 95 percent in 2022 to 90 percent this year. However, it still maintains a significant lead over other platforms, with TikTok coming in second place with 63%.
Interestingly, this study revealed gender disparities in platform preferences. Teenage girls tend to use TikTok almost all the time, while boys tend to prefer YouTube. This difference in usage patterns may be due to the different content and features each platform offers to suit the different interests and preferences of both genders.
Instagram ranks third in popularity among teens at 61%, with user shares up slightly compared to last year. Snapchat follows suit, with 55% of teens using the platform. But once-dominant Facebook has been steadily losing its teenage user base over the years. In 2014-2015, 71% of teenagers reported using Facebook, but the platform is now labeled as an app for “older people” and, as a result, younger users A large-scale outflow is occurring. Despite this, Facebook has been able to maintain a 32 percent share among teenage users over the past two years.
WhatsApp, another platform owned by Mehta, has experienced a notable rise in popularity among teenagers, rising from 17 percent in 2022 to 23 percent this year. This increase suggests that large group chats and messaging services are beginning to replace traditional social media as the preferred means of communication for teenagers.
Meanwhile, X (formerly Twitter) is rapidly losing its teenage user base. Ten years ago, when it was still called Twitter, the platform was used by 33% of teens. However, its popularity has now fallen to just 17 percent, with a decline of 5 percent in the past two years alone.
The survey also revealed that 95% of teens own a smartphone and 88% have access to a desktop or laptop computer at home. These figures highlight the prevalence of digital devices in young people's lives and the importance of addressing the potential risks associated with excessive screen time and online activity.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News, covering free speech and online censorship issues.
