The latest Pew research on teen social media use shows what you might expect, but the top platform cited in the survey is arguably not social media at all.
A whopping 90% of teens told Pew Research Center that they use YouTube, the highest percentage for any social platform (though it dropped from 95% in the last survey, done in 2022). Though YouTube is generally thought of for videos rather than social media activity, it still manages to drive many trends that influence teens, so even if retailers aren’t striving to make viral YouTube videos, keeping up with the platform’s biggest trends and news might prove useful for connecting with future customers.
The second most popular app among teens, according to the Pew survey, is TikTok, named by 63% (a slight decrease from 67% in 2022). Coming in third, Instagram held fairly steady at 61% (it got 62% in 2022). Put plainly, these apps are still the best places to market to younger consumers—at least as long as TikTok is available in the U.S.
Sites where you won’t reach teens? Facebook and X. These original social platforms have settled into hangouts for older demographics: Just 32% of teens say they use Facebook (71% did in Pew’s 2014 survey), and 17% say they use X.
In case you’re wondering about X’s competition, for teens it doesn’t seem to exist—only 6% reported using Threads. This was the first time Pew inquired about teens’ Threads usage.
Pew surveyed nearly 1,400 people ages 13 to 17 in September and October of this year. The report delves into the amount of time teens spend on social media (spoiler alert: there’s a reason governments around the world are trying to get involved) and divvies up data by age, household income, race, gender, and political affiliation.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
