Many U.S. teens report using social media 'almost constantly,' study says

Sheri Walsh
·3 min read
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Teen girls sit on a bench and stare at their cellphones. According to a new survey, released Monday by the Pew Research Center, U.S. teens continue to use online platforms at high rates with many using YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram “almost constantly,” despite growing concerns about the impact of social media. Photo by ghcassel/Pixabay link back to: https://pixabay.com/photos/girls-cell-phones-sitting-3481791/

Dec. 11 (UPI) -- A new survey finds U.S. teens continue to use online platforms at high rates, with many using YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram "almost constantly," despite growing concerns about the effect of social media.

The new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens, released Monday, shows that while YouTube is the most widely used platform among 13- to 17-year-olds -- at 90% -- TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram also remain popular with between 59% and 63% of teens viewing those sites everyday.

While 70% of teens say they visit YouTube daily, 16% reported being on the site "almost constantly."

The same cannot be said for Facebook and Twitter, which was renamed X in July. Both platforms dropped from 71% of the most visited sites among teens in 2015 to 33% this year.

Overall use of the Internet shows nearly half of all U.S. teens saying they are online "almost constantly," which is about the same number from last year's survey. About nine out of every ten teenagers said they use the Internet at least daily.

YouTube continues to be the preferred platform among U.S. teens, followed by TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, according to a new survey Monday by the Pew Research Center which reported many teens use social media "almost constantly." Image courtesy of Pew Research Center
YouTube continues to be the preferred platform among U.S. teens, followed by TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, according to a new survey Monday by the Pew Research Center which reported many teens use social media "almost constantly." Image courtesy of Pew Research Center

"Teens are more likely to say social media has had a negative effect on others rather than on themselves," said Monica Anderson, a lead researcher on the Pew report. "There's a lot of cultural debate over the impact on their mental health. For us to understand the impact, it's important for us to get these baseline measures."

"Many teens are on TikTok, including some who use the app "almost constantly," the Pew Research Center wrote Monday in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"Overall, teens largely dislike the idea of the U.S. government banning the platform: Half say they would oppose this, far higher than the 18% who would support it. Another 31% are unsure," the center wrote, while also examining the views of adults who use the platform.

Teen girls report "almost constantly" using TikTok and Snapchat, much more than boys, with 22% vs. 12% for TikTok and 17% vs. 12% for Snapchat. For YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, reports of "almost constant" use is shared equally among the genders.

By race and ethnicity, larger shares of Black and Hispanic teens report using YouTube, Instagram and TikTok compared to White teens.

Age also makes a difference, with those closer to 17 reporting higher use of all social media platforms when compared to those users closer to the age of 13.

The study also analyzed which devices U.S. teens have access to, with an overwhelming 95% saying they connect with others online using a smartphone. When it comes to a desktop or laptop computer, that drops to 90% and 83% for a gaming console. Device usage depended heavily on average household income with smartphone ownership nearly universal among teens regardless of gender, age race, ethnicity or economics.