MORE FACT SHEETS: TEENS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Explore the patterns and trends of U.S. teens’ internet usage and their access to different technology devices below.
Teen internet use over time
Today, nearly all U.S. teens (96%) say they use the internet every day. And the share of teens who report being online “almost constantly” has roughly doubled since 2014-15 (24% then vs. 46% today).
% of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who say they use the internet …
| Year | Almost constantly | Several times a day | About once a day | NET Several times a week or less often |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 24 | 56 | 12 | 8 |
| 2022 | 46 | 48 | 3 | 3 |
| 2023 | 46 | 47 | 4 | 3 |
| 2024 | 46 | 47 | 3 | 4 |
Source: Surveys of U.S. teens conducted 2014-2024.
Note: Figures from 2015 depicted above were collected from 2014 to 2015. Those who did not give an answer are not shown.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Which teens are online ‘almost constantly’
There are some differences in the amount of time teens report spending online by race and ethnicity, as well as by age.1
% of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who say they use the internet almost constantly
| ALL U.S. TEENS | 46% |
| GENDER | |
| Boys | 44% |
| Girls | 47% |
| RACE AND ETHNICITY | |
| White | 37% |
| Black | 53% |
| Hispanic | 58% |
| AGE | |
| 13-14 | 38% |
| 15-17 | 51% |
| HOUSEHOLD INCOME | |
| <$30,000 | 51% |
| $30K-$74,999 | 50% |
| $75,000+ | 43% |
| COMMUNITY TYPE | |
| Urban | 55% |
| Suburban | 45% |
| Rural | 39% |
Note: White and Black teens include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanic teens are of any race. Those who did not give an answer or gave other responses are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. teens conducted Sept. 18-Oct. 10, 2024.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Teens and digital devices
Nearly all teens (95%) report having access to a smartphone, up from 73% in 2014-15. Tablet accessibility has also experienced a 12 percentage point uptick during the same time frame. Access to desktop or laptop computers and gaming consoles has remained stable.
% of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who say they have access to the following devices at home
| Year | Smartphone | Desktop or laptop computer | Gaming console | Tablet computer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 73 | 87 | 81 | 58 |
| 2022 | 95 | 90 | 80 | — |
| 2023 | 95 | 90 | 83 | 65 |
| 2024 | 95 | 88 | 83 | 70 |
Source: Surveys of U.S. teens conducted 2014-2024.
Note: Figures from 2015 depicted above were collected from 2014 to 2015. Those who did not give an answer are not shown.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Which teens have access to digital devices
Access to certain digital devices differs by teens’ household income and gender. Teens in lower- and middle-income households are less likely than higher-income households to say they have access to a home computer or a tablet. And teen girls are less likely than teen boys to say they have access to a game console at home.
% of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who say they have access to the following devices at home
| Smartphone | Desktop or laptop computer | Gaming console | Tablet computer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALL U.S. TEENS | 95% | 88% | 83% | 70% |
| GENDER | ||||
| Boys | 93% | 87% | 90% | 69% |
| Girls | 97% | 90% | 76% | 71% |
| RACE AND ETHNICITY | ||||
| White | 95% | 89% | 86% | 68% |
| Black | 98% | 85% | 82% | 77% |
| Hispanic | 95% | 89% | 83% | 70% |
| AGE | ||||
| 13-14 | 90% | 85% | 83% | 69% |
| 15-17 | 98% | 91% | 83% | 71% |
| HOUSEHOLD INCOME | ||||
| <$30,000 | 89% | 78% | 77% | 64% |
| $30K-$74,999 | 94% | 81% | 84% | 64% |
| $75,000+ | 96% | 93% | 84% | 73% |
| COMMUNITY TYPE | ||||
| Urban | 95% | 85% | 81% | 69% |
| Suburban | 95% | 91% | 84% | 73% |
| Rural | 95% | 87% | 82% | 67% |
Note: White and Black teens include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanic teens are of any race. Those who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Survey of U.S. teens conducted Sept. 18-Oct. 10, 2024.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Find out more
This fact sheet was compiled by Research Analyst Olivia Sidoti, with help from Research Assistant Eugenie Park, Research Associate Michelle Faverio, Digital Producer Sara Atske and Associate Information Graphics Designer Kaitlyn Radde.
Here are the questions used for this analysis, along with responses, and the survey methodology.
Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder. This fact sheet was created to better understand teens’ use of digital devices and the internet.
Follow these links for more in-depth analysis of teens and technology:
- 10 facts about teens and social media
- Teens, Social Media and Mental Health
- Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024
- About a quarter of U.S. teens have used ChatGPT for schoolwork – double the share in 2023
- Why Many Parents and Teens Think It’s Harder Being a Teen Today
Find more reports and blog posts related to internet and technology.