Nearly Half of American Teens Report Being Online Constantly, Pew Research Centre Finds

Nearly half of teenagers in the United States report being online "constantly," according to a recent Pew Research Centre study. This comes amid ongoing concerns about how social media and smartphones impact mental health. The survey highlights that YouTube remains the most popular platform, with 90% of teens watching videos there, a slight decrease from 95% in 2022.

Several popular apps have seen a minor decline in teenage users. TikTok usage dropped to 63% from 67%, while Snapchat fell to 55% from 59%. This slight reduction might be linked to the easing of pandemic restrictions, allowing more face-to-face interactions. However, the change is not substantial enough to be significant.

YouTube and TikTok Usage

YouTube continues to attract daily visits from nearly three-quarters of teens. Among those surveyed, 15% reported using YouTube almost constantly. TikTok also sees frequent use, with 16% of teenagers saying they are on it nearly all the time. Girls are more inclined towards TikTok, whereas boys prefer YouTube.

The survey also revealed that X experienced the largest drop among teenage users. Only 17% of teens now use X, down from 23% in 2022, the year Elon Musk acquired it. Meanwhile, Reddit's usage remained stable at 14%, and Threads, Meta's alternative to X launched in 2023, is used by about 6% of teenagers.

Demographic Differences in Social Media Use

There are notable demographic differences in social media habits. Approximately a quarter of Black and Hispanic teens reported using TikTok almost constantly, compared to just 8% of white teens. In contrast, there were no significant gender differences in the use of Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook.

WhatsApp was an exception among Meta's platforms, witnessing an increase in teenage users to 23%, up from 17% in 2022. This growth contrasts with other platforms that saw declines or remained steady.

The Pew Research Centre conducted this survey with a sample of 1,391 US teenagers aged between 13 and 17. The data collection took place from September 18 to October 10, 2024.