Pew released new updated research about teen social media habits in 2024.
The top 4 platforms are no surprise, but some other platforms on the list are worth noting:
- 23% of teens are on WhatsApp and that is a 6% increase from last year
- 14% of teens are on Reddit, which has a group of loyal users consistent over the last few years
Top platforms include:
- YouTube is far away the most used social media, with 90% of teens saying they are users and 15% of teens saying they are “almost constantly” on the app or website
- TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram are similar, with roughly 60% of teens saying they are users and between 12-16% of teens saying they are “almost constantly” on the app or website
Not surprisingly, Facebook and X continue to sharply decline when it comes to teen usage.
Share these statistics with your teens.
- Ask them which platforms they spend the most time on. Check their screen time data on their device to get a clearer picture of that time.
- Who do they interact with on those platforms? What are those interactions like? Deep conversations? Shallow check-ins or “streaks”?
- Describe the content they engage with. Are they still images like memes and photos? Are they long-form or short-form videos? What are the topics the algorithm brings up in their feed?
- How do they feel while they are using those apps or websites? How do they feel after? Is there anything they’d like to change about their usage routines.