YouTube and Facebook still hold ground, but TikTok’s explosive growth shakes up US social media،
Have you ever wondered how many people use social media or what is the most popular social media platform in the United States? Well, keep reading and you will find out.
The Pew Research Centeras reported Engadget, released new insights into the social media habits of American adults. YouTube and Facebook remain the big players, maintaining their dominance of the 2021 survey. But TikTok is also making waves. Even after some members of Congress called for a ban, TikTok's user base is booming, with more than a third of adults admitting they use the app.
Between May 19 and September 5, 2023, the survey included 5,733 American adults. YouTube emerged as the main competitor, with 83% of respondents using it at some point. Meanwhile, Facebook wasn't far behind, with 68% of users reporting their activity on the platform.
Image credit – Pew Research Center
YouTube and Facebook are establishing themselves as the essential platforms for all age groups. However, significant age gaps persist, particularly for Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, favorites of adults under 30. For example, 78% of 18-29 year olds are active on Instagram, compared to only 15% of them. 65 years and over.
Speaking of Instagram, social media takes third place, with 47% of respondents admitting to using it. Close behind are Pinterest (35%), TikTok (33%), LinkedIn (30%), WhatsApp (29%) and Snapchat (27%). Notably, TikTok's growth steals the show, climbing 12 points from 21% just two years ago, making it the fastest-growing social platform.
Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) share the next tier at 22%. Elon Musk's company moved from Twitter to X and welcomed a new CEO during the investigation period. As a result, the number of reported X users decreased slightly from 23% in 2021. On the other hand, Reddit saw a four-point increase from 18% two years prior, despite API conflicts during the investigation period.
Social media is a hot topic lately, with controversies surrounding misinformation, data privacy and child safety. At a recent Senate hearing, the likes of Mark Zuckerberg of Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Linda Yaccarino of X/Twitter, Evan Spiegel of Snapchat, Shou Zi Chew of TikTok and Jason Citron of Discord had their say On the question. You can find out more here.
