Today around seven-in-ten Americans use social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, share information and entertain themselves. Explore the patterns and trends shaping the social media landscape over the past decade below.
Social media use over time
When Pew Research Center began tracking social media adoption in 2005, just 5% of American adults used at least one of these platforms. By 2011 that share had risen to half of all Americans, and today 72% of the public uses some type of social media.
U.S. adults
3/21/2005
5%
12/8/2005
8%
8/31/2006
11%
5/11/2008
21%
8/10/2008
26%
8/31/2008
25%
12/4/2008
27%
12/20/2008
26%
4/19/2009
36%
9/14/2009
37%
12/27/2009
42%
1/19/2010
43%
5/30/2010
48%
9/13/2010
46%
11/24/2010
45%
11/28/2010
46%
12/21/2010
47%
5/22/2011
50%
8/26/2011
50%
2/19/2012
53%
8/7/2012
59%
12/9/2012
54%
5/19/2013
61%
7/14/2013
60%
9/30/2013
63%
1/26/2014
62%
7/12/2015
65%
11/6/2016
69%
1/10/2018
69%
2/7/2019
72%
Pew Research Center
Who uses social media
As more Americans have adopted social media, the social media user base has also grown more representative of the broader population. Young adults were among the earliest social media adopters and continue to use these sites at high levels, but usage by older adults has increased in recent years.
18-29
30-49
50-64
65+
3/21/2005
7%
6%
4%
3%
12/8/2005
16%
9%
5%
2%
8/31/2006
41%
6%
3%
0%
5/11/2008
60%
21%
7%
2%
8/10/2008
65%
27%
10%
3%
8/31/2008
68%
27%
9%
2%
12/4/2008
67%
30%
12%
2%
12/20/2008
59%
28%
8%
3%
4/19/2009
70%
42%
20%
5%
9/14/2009
67%
44%
21%
6%
12/27/2009
78%
47%
25%
8%
1/19/2010
76%
51%
26%
7%
5/30/2010
82%
53%
37%
11%
9/13/2010
80%
52%
31%
9%
11/24/2010
74%
54%
33%
11%
11/28/2010
78%
54%
33%
14%
12/21/2010
76%
55%
36%
12%
5/22/2011
79%
61%
38%
14%
8/26/2011
82%
59%
36%
12%
2/19/2012
82%
64%
39%
16%
8/7/2012
88%
68%
48%
22%
5/19/2013
87%
72%
50%
24%
7/14/2013
87%
72%
49%
21%
9/30/2013
89%
74%
54%
27%
1/26/2014
84%
77%
52%
27%
7/12/2015
90%
77%
51%
35%
11/6/2016
86%
80%
64%
34%
1/10/2018
88%
78%
64%
37%
2/7/2019
90%
82%
69%
40%
Pew Research Center
White
Black
Hispanic
3/21/2005
5%
4%
12/8/2005
8%
7%
8/31/2006
9%
11%
5/11/2008
19%
21%
8/10/2008
21%
32%
8/31/2008
22%
25%
12/4/2008
26%
25%
12/20/2008
24%
27%
4/19/2009
35%
33%
9/14/2009
39%
33%
12/27/2009
42%
42%
1/19/2010
41%
44%
5/30/2010
46%
51%
9/13/2010
47%
41%
40%
11/24/2010
45%
43%
39%
11/28/2010
47%
40%
44%
12/21/2010
48%
41%
44%
5/22/2011
50%
46%
51%
8/26/2011
51%
49%
45%
2/19/2012
53%
48%
51%
8/7/2012
59%
58%
58%
12/9/2012
54%
50%
53%
5/19/2013
60%
64%
61%
7/14/2013
56%
57%
9/30/2013
62%
58%
66%
1/26/2014
59%
61%
66%
7/12/2015
65%
56%
65%
11/6/2016
69%
63%
74%
1/10/2018
68%
69%
72%
2/7/2019
73%
69%
70%
Pew Research Center
Men
Women
3/21/2005
6%
4%
12/8/2005
10%
8%
8/31/2006
13%
10%
5/11/2008
21%
22%
8/10/2008
25%
27%
8/31/2008
25%
24%
12/4/2008
26%
29%
12/20/2008
25%
26%
4/19/2009
33%
38%
9/14/2009
36%
37%
12/27/2009
38%
45%
1/19/2010
39%
46%
5/30/2010
44%
52%
9/13/2010
42%
49%
11/24/2010
39%
50%
11/28/2010
42%
50%
12/21/2010
44%
50%
5/22/2011
47%
54%
8/26/2011
50%
50%
2/19/2012
50%
56%
8/7/2012
54%
64%
12/9/2012
50%
58%
5/19/2013
59%
63%
7/14/2013
57%
62%
9/30/2013
60%
66%
1/26/2014
60%
63%
7/12/2015
62%
68%
11/6/2016
66%
72%
1/10/2018
65%
73%
2/7/2019
65%
78%
Pew Research Center
Less than $30,000
$30,000-$49,999
$50,000-$74,999
$75,000+
3/21/2005
3%
6%
8%
7%
12/8/2005
5%
9%
9%
15%
8/31/2006
8%
16%
9%
10%
5/11/2008
23%
23%
19%
25%
8/10/2008
27%
28%
28%
30%
8/31/2008
22%
26%
33%
28%
12/4/2008
24%
34%
27%
35%
12/20/2008
26%
29%
27%
32%
4/19/2009
30%
39%
43%
47%
9/14/2009
32%
40%
43%
50%
12/27/2009
37%
43%
47%
53%
1/19/2010
39%
43%
48%
49%
5/30/2010
42%
54%
50%
60%
9/13/2010
38%
48%
54%
63%
11/24/2010
39%
46%
53%
57%
11/28/2010
40%
50%
50%
58%
12/21/2010
39%
52%
59%
60%
5/22/2011
42%
60%
56%
66%
8/26/2011
42%
54%
55%
64%
2/19/2012
46%
58%
57%
68%
8/7/2012
55%
59%
61%
73%
12/9/2012
48%
56%
60%
65%
5/19/2013
57%
63%
69%
68%
7/14/2013
52%
59%
63%
71%
9/30/2013
58%
64%
70%
73%
1/26/2014
58%
64%
67%
74%
7/12/2015
56%
69%
72%
78%
11/6/2016
60%
71%
73%
78%
1/10/2018
63%
74%
74%
77%
2/7/2019
68%
70%
83%
78%
Pew Research Center
High school or less
Some college
College graduate
3/21/2005
3%
5%
10%
12/8/2005
5%
10%
13%
8/31/2006
9%
17%
9%
5/11/2008
18%
29%
21%
8/10/2008
22%
32%
29%
8/31/2008
19%
28%
32%
12/4/2008
20%
38%
33%
12/20/2008
19%
35%
32%
4/19/2009
27%
44%
44%
9/14/2009
27%
44%
48%
12/27/2009
29%
53%
55%
1/19/2010
32%
54%
50%
5/30/2010
37%
58%
59%
9/13/2010
34%
55%
57%
11/24/2010
33%
55%
56%
11/28/2010
36%
54%
56%
12/21/2010
35%
56%
60%
5/22/2011
39%
58%
63%
8/26/2011
39%
64%
59%
2/19/2012
41%
65%
64%
8/7/2012
48%
68%
69%
12/9/2012
44%
62%
62%
5/19/2013
52%
67%
69%
7/14/2013
47%
67%
71%
9/30/2013
51%
70%
73%
1/26/2014
50%
71%
69%
7/12/2015
54%
70%
76%
11/6/2016
59%
73%
78%
1/10/2018
60%
72%
79%
2/7/2019
64%
74%
79%
Pew Research Center
Urban
Suburban
Rural
3/21/2005
6%
5%
3%
12/8/2005
10%
8%
6%
8/31/2006
14%
10%
10%
5/11/2008
24%
22%
16%
8/10/2008
30%
25%
19%
8/31/2008
29%
24%
18%
12/4/2008
30%
28%
21%
12/20/2008
24%
19%
14%
4/19/2009
29%
33%
21%
9/14/2009
33%
31%
28%
12/27/2009
45%
43%
34%
1/19/2010
45%
43%
35%
5/30/2010
53%
50%
39%
9/13/2010
48%
50%
32%
11/24/2010
48%
46%
40%
11/28/2010
50%
46%
41%
12/21/2010
51%
49%
39%
5/22/2011
53%
52%
44%
8/26/2011
53%
51%
42%
2/19/2012
56%
54%
45%
8/7/2012
60%
61%
50%
12/9/2012
56%
55%
47%
5/19/2013
64%
61%
56%
7/14/2013
64%
60%
49%
9/30/2013
66%
63%
55%
1/26/2014
63%
64%
53%
7/12/2015
64%
68%
58%
11/6/2016
69%
71%
60%
1/10/2018
75%
69%
59%
2/7/2019
76%
72%
66%
Pew Research Center
Which social media platforms are most popular
YouTube and Facebook are the most-widely used online platforms, and its user base is most broadly representative of the population as a whole. Smaller shares of Americans use sites such as Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
LinkedIn
Twitter
Snapchat
YouTube
WhatsApp
Reddit
8/5/2012
54%
10%
9%
16%
13%
8/7/2012
14%
12/9/2012
13%
11%
13%
12/16/2012
57%
5/19/2013
15%
7/14/2013
16%
9/16/2013
57%
17%
14%
17%
14%
9/30/2013
16%
1/26/2014
16%
9/21/2014
58%
22%
21%
23%
19%
4/12/2015
62%
26%
24%
22%
20%
4/4/2016
68%
26%
28%
25%
21%
1/10/2018
68%
29%
35%
25%
24%
27%
73%
22%
2/7/2019
69%
28%
37%
27%
22%
24%
73%
20%
11%
Pew Research Center
Who uses each social media platform
Usage of the major social media platforms varies by factors such as age, gender and educational attainment.
% of U.S. adults who use each social media platform
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Total
69%
37%
27%
Men
63%
31%
29%
Women
75%
43%
24%
Ages 18-29
79%
67%
28%
30-49
79%
47%
37%
50-64
68%
23%
24%
65+
46%
8%
11%
White
70%
33%
28%
Black
70%
40%
24%
Hispanic
69%
51%
16%
High school or less
61%
33%
9%
Some college
75%
37%
26%
College graduate
74%
43%
51%
Urban
73%
46%
33%
Suburban
69%
35%
30%
Rural
66%
21%
10%
Source: Survey conducted Jan. 8 to Feb. 7, 2019.
Pew Research Center
% of U.S. adults who use each social media platform
Twitter
Pinterest
Snapchat
Total
22%
28%
24%
Men
24%
15%
24%
Women
21%
42%
24%
Ages 18-29
38%
34%
62%
30-49
26%
35%
25%
50-64
17%
27%
9%
65+
7%
15%
3%
White
21%
33%
22%
Black
24%
27%
28%
Hispanic
25%
22%
29%
High school or less
13%
19%
22%
Some college
24%
32%
29%
College graduate
32%
38%
20%
Urban
26%
30%
29%
Suburban
22%
30%
20%
Rural
13%
26%
20%
Source: Source: Survey conducted Jan. 8 to Feb. 7, 2019.
Pew Research Center
% of U.S. adults who use each social media platform
YouTube
WhatsApp
Reddit
Total
73%
20%
11%
Men
78%
21%
15%
Women
68%
19%
8%
Ages 18-29
91%
23%
22%
30-49
87%
31%
14%
50-64
70%
16%
6%
65+
38%
3%
1%
White
71%
13%
12%
Black
77%
24%
4%
Hispanic
78%
42%
14%
High school or less
64%
18%
6%
Some college
79%
14%
14%
College graduate
80%
28%
15%
Urban
77%
24%
11%
Suburban
74%
19%
13%
Rural
64%
10%
8%
Source: Source: Survey conducted Jan. 8 to Feb. 7, 2019.
Pew Research Center
How often Americans use social media sites
For many users, social media is part of their daily routine. Roughly three-quarters of Facebook users – and around six-in-ten Instagram users – visit these sites at least once a day.
Platform
Less often
Weekly
Daily
Facebook
9%
17%
74%
Snapchat
22%
17%
61%
Instagram
16%
21%
63%
Twitter
29%
29%
42%
YouTube
17%
32%
51%
Pew Research Center
Find out more
Follow these links for more in-depth analysis of the impact of social media on American life.