The portability offered by mobile devices makes the use of the internet and social media far more convenient.
Teenagers with access to laptops, tablets, and smartphones have quick access to all kinds of social media, making it all an integral part of their lives.
As a result, there are rising concerns seen about the effects of our teenagers’ use of technology, which is considerably more intimate and intense than a toddler fiddling with his dad’s phone.
Given the pervasiveness of social media, teens nowadays are navigating a digital environment that is completely different from that of their predecessors.
To help you understand it all better, we have prepared a list of the most recent teenage use of social media statistics.
Key Statistics
- Globally, 4.9 billion individuals are estimated to be utilizing social media.
- As of 2022, 95% of U.S. teens have access to a smartphone.
- 97% of U.S. teens use the internet at least once a day.
- 90% of teens worldwide have one or more social media accounts.
- In 2020, 63% of American parents said that their teenagers utilized social media more frequently than they had before the pandemic.
- 54% of American teens believe it would difficult for them to give up using social media.
- 67% of teenagers claim that using social media has made them feel worse about themselves.
- 40% of teenagers using social media have received, and 52% have sent explicit content on such platforms.
- YouTube is the social media platform that is used daily by 77% of teenagers.
- TikTok is reportedly used at least once by two-thirds of teenagers, while 58% of teens use the platform daily.
- Instagram is the third most famous social media platform among teenagers, with 62% having used it at least once.
- 13 to 17-year-old Instagram users make up just 8% of its global users.
- Teenagers account for only 5.6% of all Facebook users.
- From 71% in 2014–15 to 32% in 2022, teenage use of Facebook in the U.S. has significantly decreased.
Teenage Use of Social Media Statistics: Internet and Social Media Use of the American Teens
1. Globally, 4.9 Billion Individuals Are Estimated to Be Utilizing Social Media.
With 4.9 billion users worldwide, social media usage has reached a new high.
Furthermore, it is anticipated that by 2027, this number will increase to 5.85 billion users.
Additionally, these aren’t platform-specific users: Today’s users distribute their digital imprint across an astounding 6-7 platforms each month, demonstrating the requirement for a multi-platform strategy for social media marketing.
(Source: Forbes)
2. As Of 2022, 95% of U.S. Teens Have Access to A Smartphone.
Teens continue to have easy access to game consoles, smartphones, and desktop and laptop computers.
The number of teenagers with smartphone access has increased by 22 percentage points since 2014–15 (95% now versus 73% then).
Teenagers now have more smartphone access than they did eight years ago.
However, statistically speaking, their access to other digital devices, like various kinds of computers or gaming consoles, does not depict a significant change.
(Source: Pew Research)
3. Teenagers Now Spend Twice as Much Time on Screens Outside of School than They Did Before the Pandemic, from 3.8 Hours to 7.7 Hours Daily.
Teenagers now rely more on digital media for almost every aspect of their life, including entertainment, education, and socialization.
This has largely been a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing stay-at-home regulations, online learning requirements, and social distance restrictions, and naturally, ought to increase their social media usage time as well.
(Source: Smart Social)
4. 97% of U.S. Teens Use the Internet at Least Once a Day.
According to research conducted last year, only a slight increase has been observed in the proportion of teenagers who claim to use the internet at least once per day.
In 2022, 97% of teenagers were reported to be using the internet daily, up from 92% in the years 2014–15.
While this may not be a significant rise, the percentage of teenagers who claim to be using the internet continuously has substantially increased from 24% in 2014–15 to 46% in 2022.
(Source: Pew Research)
5. 90% of Teens Worldwide Have One or More Social Media Accounts.
Considering the digital age that we live in, it should come as no surprise that 9 out of every 10 teens you come across will have at least one account on any of the leading social media platforms.
This is supported by the fact that 75% of the teens in U.S. have at least one active account on some social media platform.
51% of teens are reported to visit at least one platform daily.
This is because social media has become an integral part of most teens’ lives, be it for staying up to date with the latest trends, developing friendships, communicating beyond the boundaries of time and space, or establishing social status.
(Source: Increditools)
6. In 2020, 63% of American Parents Said that Their Teenagers Utilized Social Media More Frequently than They Had Before the Pandemic.
As people had to discover ways to meet their social requirements when physical distance was required, social media use surged significantly throughout the pandemic.
Teenagers were no exception, which is why 63% of parents in the U.S. agreed that teenage use of social media had increased during the pandemic.
(Source: Gitnux)
7. 55% of American Teens Claim to Spend the Appropriate Amount of Time Using Social Media.
Do children use social media excessively?
A survey in 2022 revealed that only 36% of teenagers in the U.S. hold the opinion that their social media usage is too much.
A majority of American teenagers (55%) believe that the amount of time they spend using social media is just fine.
Surprisingly, only 8% of them believe they don’t spend enough time using social media.
(Source: PCMag)
The Impact of Social Media Use
8. 54% of American Teens Believe It Would Difficult for Them to Give up Using Social Media.
Teenagers are mostly split on whether quitting social media would be simple or difficult for them.
While 46% believe it’d be very easy or fairly easy, 54% believe it would be very hard or somewhat hard.
Girls have a greater tendency than boys to declare that giving up social media would be tough (58% vs. 49%).
Additionally, older teens are more likely to express this than younger ones: 58% of those between the ages of 15 and 17 express this sentiment, compared to 48% of those between the ages of 13 and 14.
(Source: Pew Research)
9. Cyberbullying and Online Harassment Have Been Experienced by 59% of Teenagers.
This fact serves as a sobering reminder of how common cyberbullying and internet abuse are among teenagers.
It emphasizes the necessity of raising public awareness and educating individuals about the risks associated with social media and the significance of providing young people with a secure online environment.
It also serves as a reminder to parents, guardians, and teachers to take action to safeguard teenagers from the possible risks associated with social media.
(Source: Gitnux)
10. 67% of Teenagers Claim that Using Social Media Has Made Them Feel Worse About Themselves.
For today’s youth, the world of social media is a complicated web.
While 73% of users claim to have found comfort and support on social media platforms during difficult times, 67% report experiencing a decline in self-esteem as a result of comparing their life to the filtered realities seen online.
Only a fine balance can contain the complex effects that social media can have on teenagers’ lives.
According to research, it is also noteworthy that teenagers who use social media platforms for more than three hours per day are more prone to internalize issues.
This highlights the possibility that excessive social media usage may be unwittingly causing adolescent mental health issues.
(Source: Forbes)
11. 40% of Teenagers Using Social Media Have Received, and 52% Have Sent Explicit Content on Such Platforms.
According to research, the exchange of explicit content among teenagers using social media is more common than we thought.
These figures serve as a harsh reminder of the possible risks associated with social networking.
It draws attention to how frequently adolescents send and receive explicit content, which could hurt their safety and wellness.
Research also shows that 46% of parents of teenagers express extreme concern about the possibility of their child being exposed to explicit social media content.
As opposed to social media contributing to mental health conditions like anxiety, sadness, or low self-esteem, exposure to explicit content is what is more likely to make parents of teenagers extremely concerned.
Altogether, these statistics serve as a reminder for parents and guardians to be aware of the dangers of social media use and to take precautions to make sure their kids are using it responsibly.
(Source: Gitnux)
Teenage Use of Different Social Media Platforms
12. YouTube Is the Social Media Platform that Is Used Daily by 77% of Teenagers.
According to a survey, 95% of teenagers have used YouTube at least once in their lives.
However, YouTube certainly proved to be their most preferred social media platform, with approximately three-quarters of the respondents using it every day.
In fact, 19% of the teenagers surveyed said they use the website or app almost regularly.
The popularity of this platform can also be attributed to the fact that short-form videos are the most interesting type of content found on social media.
(Source: Pew Research)
13. TikTok is Reportedly Used at Least Once by Two-Thirds of Teenagers, While 58% of Teens Use the Platform on A Daily Basis.
One of the most popular and widely utilized social networking sites in the world is TikTok.
However, the majority of TikTok users are young people.
Results from a survey conducted last year show that 67% of teenagers in the U.S. have experienced using TikTok at least once in their lifetime.
Whereas 57% of these teenagers were revealed to be using the platform at least once a day.
The same study also revealed that 16% of teens in America are addicted to this social media platform, using it almost constantly.
(Source: Pew Research)
14. Instagram Is the Third Most Famous Social Media Platform Among Teenagers with 62% Having Used It at Least Once.
According to research, where Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter saw a considerable decline in the number of teen users (from the year 2015 to 2022), Instagram and Snapchat grew more popular.
6 out of every 10 teens in America are reported to use Instagram at least once in their life.
While 50% of American teens are reported to be using the platform daily, at least once.
A relatively small fraction (10%) of teenagers also claim to be using the app or site constantly.
(Source: Pew Research)
15. 13 to 17-Year-Old Instagram Users Make up Just 8% of Its Global Users.
By the beginning of the year 2023, nearly 31% of all Instagram users worldwide were between the ages of 18 and 24, while 30.3 % were between the ages of 25 and 34.
Moreover, people aged 35 to 44 made up 15.7% of the user base.
While Instagram may have been ranked as the third most popular social media platform in the US teen culture (after YouTube and TikTok), with 50% of teenagers using it regularly, globally, the platform does not seem to be a compelling option for teenagers.
Young adults around the globe seem to be relatively more interested in using this platform.
(Source: Statista)
16. Teenagers Account for Only 5.6% of All Facebook Users.
Facebook has remained at the top of the list of the most popular social networking sites for more than a decade.
It has 2.9 billion active users globally each month, making it the most popular social networking platform.
However, it might not be as pertinent for teens as we might believe since only 5.6% of all Facebook users are 17 or younger.
As of January 2023, men aged 25 to 34 made up the majority of Facebook users representing 17.6% of the world’s population.
Men between the ages of 18 and 24 also made up Facebook’s second-largest audience segment.
(Source: Puresight)
17. From 71% in 2014–15 to 32% in 2022, Teenage Use of Facebook in The U.S. Has Significantly Decreased.
The sharp drop in the teenage use of Facebook is the most significant change witnessed in the social media landscape over the past few years.
While Facebook may still reign in the hearts of many individuals around the globe and retain its leading position in the social media arena for 14 consecutive years, teenagers (13-17 years old) do not find it dominating their digital world.
According to a study by Pew Research Center, from 71% in 2014–15 to 32% in 2022, teenage use of Facebook in the U.S. has significantly decreased.
(Source: Pew Research)
FAQs
What Are the Social Media Sites Most Commonly Used by Teenagers?
US teenagers’ use of various social media platforms was studied during research by Pew Research Center.
The most popular platform was found to be YouTube, with 95% of users reporting regular visits to its website or application.
The next three apps were TikTok (67%), Instagram (62%), and Snapchat (59%).
A substantial decline in the percentage of adolescents using Facebook has also been highlighted, falling to 32% in 2022 from 71% in 2015.
The use of Twitter and Tumblr has also decreased.
What Motives Do Teens Have for Using Social Media?
After analyzing the data regarding what teenagers post on social media, a study by Pews Research Center helps us understand that:
• Teenagers in America share their triumphs on social media in 43% of cases.
• Teenagers in America use social media sites to discuss their family 34% of the time.
• 25% of American teenagers use social media to express their sentiments and emotions to others.
Can Excessive Use of Social Media Put Teenagers at Risk of Mental Health Issues?
Yes, research proves that adolescents who use social media for more than three hours a day are prone to experience mental health issues.
Conclusion
In the past ten years, teenagers’ use of social media and screen time has increased significantly.
Parents can’t keep their children off social media forever, despite the fact that it can have major negative consequences on them.
Therefore, it’s crucial for parents to assist their children in creating a positive digital imprint and preparing them for coping with the digital age.
It is clear that adolescents use social media in different ways from adults and that nowadays, they use it more frequently than teenagers did in the past.
To help you see a more vivid picture of the digital world of teens, we conducted extensive research and have provided everything we learned about how teenagers utilize social media.
While the majority of these teenage use of social media statistics pertain to teenagers in the United States, it’s likely that teenage use of social media is similar worldwide.
