New Pew Survey Reveals Online Habits of American Teens
A recent Pew Research Center survey found that nearly half of US teenagers are “almost constantly” online, but the platforms they spend their time on vary significantly. The survey polled 1,391 teenagers and found that while there is some variety in their overall online habits, virtually all teenagers use YouTube. A staggering 90 percent of teens said they use the site, with 73 percent accessing it daily. YouTube is followed by TikTok, with 63 percent of teens using the app.
Notably, there is a gender divide among teenagers who use the platforms almost constantly. Girls are more likely to use TikTok constantly, with 19 percent saying they do so, while the same percentage of boys use YouTube constantly. The survey also found that not all teenagers use the same platforms equally. Fewer teens use Threads (6 percent), Facebook (32 percent), and Reddit (14 percent). Only Instagram, with 47 percent of teens using the app, and WhatsApp (23 percent) have gained popularity among teens over the past decade.
Interestingly, the popularity of Snapchat, an image-based app, is declining among teens, with 23 percent now using it compared to 37 percent in 2022. The survey’s findings suggest that teenagers tend to prefer image- and video-based platforms, which may contribute to the widespread use of YouTube and Instagram. The survey highlights the evolving nature of online behavior among teenagers and the diversity of platforms they use to connect with each other and the world around them.