{"id":7804,"date":"2024-02-02T12:20:23","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T17:20:23","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-04-23T23:59:05","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T03:59:05","slug":"5-facts-about-how-americans-use-facebook-two-decades-after-its-launch","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/02\/02\/5-facts-about-how-americans-use-facebook-two-decades-after-its-launch\/","title":{"rendered":"5 facts about how Americans use Facebook, two decades after its launch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Social media giant Facebook launched 20 years ago this week. Over the last two decades, the site has transformed the way people connect online, and its reach has grown to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/264810\/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide\/\">3 billion monthly users worldwide<\/a>. In recent years, lawmakers and the public <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/10\/24\/technology\/states-lawsuit-children-instagram-facebook.html\">in the United States<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/meta-facebook-data-privacy-fine-europe-9aa912200226c3d53aa293dca8968f84\">abroad<\/a> have grown more critical of Facebook and its parent company, Meta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are five key facts about Americans and Facebook, based on Pew Research Center surveys.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"border-width:1px;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);--block-gap: inherit\" class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible has-background has-ui-beige-very-light-background-color has-border-color has-ui-beige-dark-border-color\" id=\"how-we-did-this\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/collapsible&quot;}\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;collapsibleId&quot;:&quot;how-we-did-this&quot;,&quot;isOpen&quot;:false}\" data-wp-class--is-open=\"context.isOpen\" data-wp-init--scroll-into-view=\"callbacks.onInitScrollIntoView\"><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__title\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.onClick\"><div>How we did this<\/div><button class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__icon\"><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"context.isOpen\"><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-plus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!context.isOpen\" hidden><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-minus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-minus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__content\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to better understand Facebook use in the United States 20 years after the social media site\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More information about these surveys and their methodologies, including the sample sizes and field dates, can be found at the links in the text.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Around seven-in-ten U.S. adults (68%) say they ever use Facebook, a share that has remained relatively flat since 2016, <\/strong>according to <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2024\/01\/31\/americans-social-media-use\/\">a survey conducted between May and September 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the exception of YouTube \u2013 used by 83% of adults \u2013 no other social media platform comes close to Facebook in usage. Roughly half of adults (47%) report using Instagram, while around a third use Pinterest (35%) and TikTok (33%). About three-in-ten each say they use LinkedIn (30%), WhatsApp (29%) and Snapchat (27%). Smaller shares use X (formerly called Twitter), Reddit and BeReal. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-640-wide is-resized\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-8559\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/02\/02\/5-facts-about-how-americans-use-facebook-two-decades-after-its-launch\/sr_24-02-02_facebook_1-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f6f5f4\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_1.png?resize=480,736 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_1.png?resize=782,1199 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_1.png?resize=840,1288 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"981\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_1.png?w=640\" alt=\"A line chart showing that Americans' Facebook use has remained flat since 2016.\" class=\"wp-image-8559 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f6f5f4; width:420px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Facebook is popular among all demographic groups, though some adults are more likely to use it than others, <\/strong>the same survey shows. Adults who are more likely to use Facebook include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Women:<\/strong> 76% of women use the platform, compared with 59% of men.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bachelor\u2019s degree holders:<\/strong> 70% of adults with a four-year degree or more education use it, compared with 63% of those who have a high school diploma or less.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-640-wide is-resized\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-8562\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/02\/02\/5-facts-about-how-americans-use-facebook-two-decades-after-its-launch\/sr_24-02-02_facebook_2-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d0dee7\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"1654\"  sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_2.png?resize=480,1281 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_2.png?resize=620,1654 620w\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_2.png?w=620\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that women and college grads are more likely to use Facebook.\" class=\"wp-image-8562 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d0dee7; width:310px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Three-in-ten Americans say they regularly get news from Facebook, <\/strong>according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/journalism\/fact-sheet\/social-media-and-news-fact-sheet\/\">fall 2023 survey<\/a>. The share of adults who regularly turn to Facebook for news is higher than the shares who turn to other platforms, including YouTube (26%), Instagram (16%) and TikTok (14%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among Facebook users, 43% say they regularly get news from the site, down from 54% who said this in 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Facebook news consumers are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Mostly women:<\/strong> 62% of those who regularly get news from the site are women, compared with 37% who are men.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Older than news consumers on some other major social media sites:<\/strong> 22% of adults who regularly get news on Facebook are under 30, a much lower share than on TikTok (44%), Instagram (42%) and X (36%).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Evenly divided politically:<\/strong> 47% are Republicans or Republican-leaning independents, while 46% are Democrats or Democratic leaners.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>A third of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 use Facebook, <\/strong>according to <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2023\/12\/11\/teens-social-media-and-technology-2023\/\">a fall 2023 survey of U.S. teens<\/a>. That\u2019s down sharply from the 71% in this age group who said they used the platform in a 2014-15 survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today\u2019s teens tend to gravitate toward other social media platforms, including YouTube (93% of teens use it), TikTok (63%), Snapchat (60%) and Instagram (59%). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-640-wide is-resized\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-8566\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/02\/02\/5-facts-about-how-americans-use-facebook-two-decades-after-its-launch\/sr_24-02-02_facebook_3-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f5f5f5\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_3.png?resize=480,585 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_3.png?resize=782,953 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_3.png?resize=840,1024 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"780\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_3.png?w=640\" alt=\"A line chart showing that teen Facebook use has dropped sharply over the last decade.\" class=\"wp-image-8566 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f5f5f5; width:420px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Teens in some demographic groups are more likely to use Facebook, <\/strong>according to the fall 2023 survey. For instance, 45% of teens living in households earning less than $30,000 a year say they use the site, compared with 27% of those whose annual family income is $75,000 or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Girls and older teens are also more likely than those in other groups to say they use the platform. Teens living in rural areas use the platform at a higher rate than those living in the suburbs. Urban teens\u2019 use of Facebook does not significantly differ from either of these groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-640-wide is-resized\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-8568\" href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/02\/02\/5-facts-about-how-americans-use-facebook-two-decades-after-its-launch\/sr_24-02-02_facebook_4-png\/\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dde7ec\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"1232\"  sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_4.png?resize=480,954 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_4.png?resize=620,1232 620w\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/02\/SR_24.02.02_Facebook_4.png?w=620\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that a third of U.S. teens ever use Facebook.\" class=\"wp-image-8568 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dde7ec; width:310px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Note: This is an update of a post published on June 1, 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Around seven-in-ten U.S. adults (68%) say they ever use Facebook, a share that has remained relatively flat since 2016.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":386,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_crdt_document":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"ai_generated_summary":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2024-02-02T17:20:35Z","apple_news_api_id":"44e486d2-b855-4932-868a-7e21ea5bcdb8","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2024-02-02T17:20:36Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AROSG0rhVSTKGin4h6lvNuA","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"relatedPosts":[],"_prc_fork_parent":0,"_prc_fork_status":"","_prc_active_fork":0,"datacite_doi":"","datacite_doi_citation":"","_prc_seo_qr_attachment_id":0,"spoken_article_player_enabled":true,"bylines":[{"key":"_e5g8hi5rn","termId":850}],"acknowledgements":[],"displayBylines":true,"footnotes":"","prc_watchers":[]},"categories":[311,352],"bylines":[850],"collection":[],"datasets":[],"_post_visibility":[],"formats":[467],"_fund_pool":[],"languages":[],"regions-countries":[515],"research-teams":[526,527],"workflow-status":[],"class_list":["post-7804","short-read","type-short-read","status-publish","hentry","category-facebook","category-social-media-news","bylines-katherine-schaeffer","formats-short-read","regions-countries-united-states","research-teams-internet","research-teams-journalism"],"label":"Short 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