{"id":269659,"date":"2025-07-10T10:55:47","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T14:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=short-read&p=269659"},"modified":"2025-12-09T16:00:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T21:00:26","slug":"10-facts-about-teens-and-social-media","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2025\/07\/10\/10-facts-about-teens-and-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"10 facts about teens and social media"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"(The
(The Good Brigade\/via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For the latest survey data on social media and tech use among teens, see \u201cTeens, Social Media and<\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/a>AI Chatbots 2025<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Public health experts, lawmakers and parents have cautioned about the effects of social media on America\u2019s teens<\/a>. But what do teens themselves think? In 2024, Pew Research Center surveyed U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 \u2013 and their parents. We asked about teens\u2019 experiences with social media and their views about its impact on their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are 10 key findings from the study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How we did this<\/summary>\n

Pew Research Center conducted this study to understand American teens\u2019 experiences with and attitudes about social media. Part of this study also examines parents\u2019 perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the full reports that were the basis for this analysis: \u201cTeens, Social Media and Technology<\/a>\u201d and \u201cTeens, Social Media and Mental Health<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this analysis, the Center conducted an online survey of 1,391 U.S. teens and parents from Sept. 18 to Oct. 10, 2024, through Ipsos. Ipsos recruited the teens via their parents, who were part of its KnowledgePanel<\/a>. The KnowledgePanel is a probability-based web panel recruited primarily through national, random sampling of residential addresses. Parents were asked to think about one teen in their household (if there were multiple teens ages 13 to 17 in the household, one was randomly chosen). At the conclusion of the parent\u2019s section, the parent was asked to have this chosen teen come to the computer and complete the survey in private.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The survey is weighted to be representative of two different populations: 1) parents with teens ages 13 to 17 and 2) teens ages 13 to 17 who live with parents. For each of these populations, the survey is weighted to be representative by age, gender, race and ethnicity, household income and other categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional information about this survey, including the field dates, sample sizes and toplines, can be found by following the links in the text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This research was reviewed and approved by an external institutional review board (IRB), Advarra, an independent committee of experts that specialize in helping to protect the rights of research participants.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

Teens use YouTube more than any other platform we asked about, but they also widely use TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. <\/strong>Nine-in-ten teens say they use YouTube. Majorities also use TikTok (63%), Instagram (61%) and Snapchat (55%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Teens\u2019 use of Facebook and X \u2013 formerly known as Twitter \u2013 has declined steeply over the past decade. For instance, 71% of teens said they used Facebook in 2014-15 \u2013 far higher than the 32% who do so today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roughly a quarter of teens (23%) say they use WhatsApp. Smaller shares say they use Reddit (14%) and even fewer use Threads (6%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

More than half of teens visit YouTube and TikTok at least daily, with some saying they\u2019re on the sites \u201calmost constantly.\u201d <\/strong>About three-quarters of teens (73%) say they use YouTube daily. This includes 15% who describe their use as almost constant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A majority of teens visit TikTok daily, with 16% reporting near-constant use. Instagram and Snapchat follow, with around half using each daily and about one-in-ten saying they\u2019re on them almost constantly. Fewer teens (20%) say they visit Facebook every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across these five platforms, a third of teens use at least one of these online platforms almost constantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Teens\u2019 use of social media platforms differs by demographic group. <\/strong>Black and Hispanic teens are especially likely to use TikTok, Instagram and X. For example, 79% of Black and 74% of Hispanic teens say they use TikTok, compared with 54% of White teens. Meanwhile, Hispanic teens are more likely than White and Black teens to use WhatsApp. (There were not enough Asian respondents in the sample to be broken out into a separate analysis. As always, their responses are included in the general population figures throughout.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larger shares of teen girls than boys say they use TikTok (66% vs. 59%) and Instagram (66% vs. 56%). Conversely, boys are somewhat more likely than girls to report using YouTube (93% vs. 87%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Teens have become more negative about the impact of social media on their peers. <\/strong>About half of teens (48%) say social media have a mostly negative effect on people their age, up from 32% in 2022. And fewer now see social media as having a mostly positive effect: 11% say this, down from 24% in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another 41% say these platforms have neither a positive nor negative effect on their peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also asked teens how they think these platforms affect them personally<\/a>. Far fewer teens say social media have a negative effect on them<\/em> than say this of their<\/em> peers<\/em> (14% vs. 48%) \u2013 a pattern similar to 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Greater shares of teens now say they spend too much time on social media:<\/strong> 45% of teens say this today, compared with 27% in 2023 and 36% in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About half of teens (49%) say they spend about the right amount of time on these platforms. This is lower than the 64% who said this in 2023 and the 55% who said so in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Very few teens say they spend too little time on social media (6%). This view has remained stable in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

More teens say using social media hurts rather than helps their sleep, productivity, grades and mental health. <\/strong>Four-in-ten teens say using social media hurts their productivity, and 45% say this about their amount of sleep. About one-in-five say it hurts their grades (22%) and mental health (19%). For each, fewer say social media helps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to friendships, more teens say social media platforms help than hurt (30% vs. 7%). Still, sizable shares of teens say these platforms neither hurt nor help each of these aspects of their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teen girls are more likely than boys to report social media hurting some aspects of their lives<\/a>. For instance, a quarter of teen girls say using social media hurts their mental health, compared with 14% of teen boys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Majorities of teens say social media sites help them feel connected and creative. <\/strong>About three-quarters say these platforms make them feel more connected to their friends. And 63% credit social media with giving them a place to show their creative side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But some teens also experience negative impacts. For instance, 39% say they get overwhelmed by the drama on these platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teen girls are more likely than boys to report both some of the positive and negative impacts<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n