Teens are as connected as ever, with smartphones and social media at the center of their daily lives. According to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey of 1,391 U.S. teens aged 13 to 17, YouTube remains their favorite platform, easily outpacing TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
YouTube Leads the Pack
An impressive 90% of teens use YouTube, making it the most popular platform. Though slightly down from 95% in 2022, its dominance is clear. TikTok follows, with about 60% of teens using the platform, while Instagram and Snapchat have similar usage rates at 60% and 55%, respectively.
Meanwhile, platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) have seen significant declines in teen users. Only 32% of teens use Facebook today, compared to 71% a decade ago, while X is down to 17% from 33% in 2014. WhatsApp usage has grown slightly to 23%, but newer platforms like Threads lag behind, with just 6% of teens onboard.
Daily Habits and Constant Connectivity
Teens are frequent users of social media, with roughly half saying they use Instagram and Snapchat daily. Around one-third report using at least one platform almost constantly. Notably, 19% of teen girls are on TikTok almost constantly, compared to 13% of boys. On YouTube, the trend flips, with 19% of boys versus 11% of girls using it constantly.
By race, Black (28%) and Hispanic (25%) teens are more likely than white teens (8%) to use TikTok almost constantly. They’re also more likely to be constant users of YouTube and Instagram.
Income Differences in Social Media Use
Teens from lower-income households are more likely to use Facebook and TikTok. For example, 45% of teens in households earning under $30,000 annually use Facebook, compared to 29% in households earning $75,000 or more. Similarly, TikTok usage is higher among teens from lower-income households (73%) than those from higher-income families (59%).
The Bigger Picture
As concerns about social media’s impact on youth grow, this data highlights how entrenched these platforms are in teens’ lives. YouTube’s broad appeal, TikTok’s strong engagement, and the decline of older platforms like Facebook and X reflect shifting dynamics in how teens connect, share, and consume content.