A recent survey published this week from the Pew Research Center reveals some eye-catching statistics about teen online habits. Nearly half of the surveyed teens, aged 13 to 17, report spending almost all their time online, which is up from about 24% just ten years ago.
While parents, teachers, healthcare professionals and politicians have expressed serious concerns about the impact of technology and social media on the mental health of today’s youth, many teens remain digitally more connected than ever. Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted Sept. 18-Oct. 10, 2024 demonstrates that nearly half of the teens describe that they are online almost constantly.
It is interesting to note that these findings show just how integral the internet has become for this age group, reflecting both its pervasive role and the uncertainties around its impact on mental health. A staggering 96% of these teens claim to use the internet every day, and 95% have access to smartphones. These devices have become almost compulsory tools for socialization, entertainment, and information.
Choice and interest in the various social media platforms has changed for this age group in the last two years, according to Pew. The survey asked about the platforms and regularity of usage.
YouTube remains the most popular but usage has reduced by 5 percent in 2024.
TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat remain widely used among teens. Roughly six-in-ten teens say they use TikTok and Instagram, and 55% say the same for Snapchat.
Facebook and X use have steeply declined over the past decade. Today, 32% of teens say they use Facebook. This is down from 71% in 2014-15, though the share of teens who use the site has remained stable in recent years. And 17% of teens say they use X (formerly Twitter) – about half the share who said this a decade ago (33%), and down from 23% in 2022.
Roughly one-quarter of teens (23%) say they use WhatsApp, up 6 percentage points since 2022.
And 14% of teens use Reddit, a share that has remained stable over the past few years.
The survey asked about Threads, launched in 2023 by Meta, currently shows that only 6% of teens report using it.
How often do teens visit online platforms?
Time that teens (and everyone) spends on social media has been a major concern in the US. This new survey asked teens how often they use five platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook.
Overall, 73% of teens say they go on YouTube daily, making YouTube the most widely used and visited platform we asked about. This share includes 15% who describe their use as “almost constant.”
The share of teens who say they use Instagram almost constantly has increased slightly, from 8% in 2023 to 12% today.
Relatively few teens report using Facebook daily (20%).
Social Media Usage by Gender and Race/Ethnicity
Additional Data
The Pew Report also offers additional data and other demographics that describe how teens engage with online platforms by gender, race and ethnicity, age, and household income. It also highlights time spent online and teen access to smartphones at home.
Source: Teens, Social Media and Technology, December 12, 2024, Pew Research Center