With increasing worries about how technology affects young people, a new Pew Research Center survey shows that teens in the United States are as digitally connected as ever. Nearly half of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 report being online “almost constantly,” illustrating the deep integration of social media and internet use in their daily lives.
The most widely used platform is YouTube. Approximately 90% of teens use the site. About 73% visit YouTube daily, and 15% describe their usage as “almost constant.” This marks a slight drop from 95% in 2022, but the video platform continues to dominate teen digital habits.
TikTok and Instagram are also key fixtures in teen life. About 60% of teens use each platform, with 16% saying they are on TikTok almost constantly. Instagram’s near-constant usage has grown slightly, from 8% in 2023 to 12% now. Researchers found that 55% of teens still use Snapchat.
Facebook’s popularity among teens fell compared to a decade ago, with just 32% of teens using the platform which held steady in recent years but now show a steep decline from 71% in 2014-15.
With just 17% of teens using X, formerly known as Twitter, today, down from 33% a decade ago, the now Elon Musk-owned platform has also seen a sharp decline.
WhatsApp is gaining modest ground, with 23% of teens now using the messaging app, up from 17% in 2022. Reddit usage, however, remains steady at 14%. Threads, Meta’s new social media platform, has struggled to catch on, with only 6% of teens reporting using it.
Researchers also found distinct patterns in social media usage based on gender, race, and household income. Teen girls are likelier to use TikTok and Instagram than boys, while boys favor YouTube. About 66% of girls use TikTok, compared to 59% of boys. In contrast, 93% of boys use YouTube, compared to 87% of girls. Boys are also more likely to be on YouTube “almost constantly,” with 19% reporting this level of use compared to 11% of girls.
Racial and ethnic differences are apparent. Black and Hispanic teens use TikTok and Instagram more than White teens. About 79% of Black teens and 74% of Hispanic teens use TikTok, compared to just 54% of White teens. Additionally, 28% of Black teens and 25% of Hispanic teens say they are on TikTok almost constantly, compared to just 8% of White teens.
Lower-income households are also more likely to have teens using platforms like Facebook and TikTok. Among teens in families earning less than $30,000 a year, 45% use Facebook, while just 29% of teens in households earning $75,000 or more use the platform. Similarly, 73% of lower-income teens use TikTok, compared to 59% in higher-income households.
Internet use among teens shows no sign of slowing down. Nearly 96% of teens go online daily, and 46% are online almost constantly—which has nearly doubled since 2014. Black and Hispanic teens report higher levels of constant internet use, with more than half saying they are online almost all the time, compared to 37% of White teens.
Teens continue to have widespread access to digital devices. About 95% have or can use a smartphone, with older teens (98%) slightly outpacing younger ones (90%).
Access to computers remains high, with 88% reporting they have a desktop or laptop at home. Teens from higher-income families are more likely to have a computer, with 93% of those earning $75,000 or more having access, compared to 78% of teens in lower-income households.
Gaming consoles are another staple in teen households, with 83% of teens reporting they have access to one. Boys lead in this category, with 90% saying they have a console compared to 76% of girls.
Tablet ownership is also rising, increasing from 65% in 2023 to 70% today.