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.
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.
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.
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 in each demographic group who say they ever use …
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Total
69%
40%
28%
Men
61%
36%
31%
Women
77%
44%
26%
Ages 18-29
70%
71%
30%
30-49
77%
48%
36%
50-64
73%
29%
33%
65+
50%
13%
11%
White
67%
35%
29%
Black
74%
49%
27%
Hispanic
72%
52%
19%
Less than $30K
70%
35%
12%
$30K-$49,999
76%
45%
21%
$50K-$74,999
61%
39%
21%
More than $75K
70%
47%
50%
High school or less
64%
30%
10%
Some college
71%
44%
28%
College graduate
73%
49%
51%
Urban
70%
45%
30%
Suburban
70%
41%
33%
Rural
67%
25%
15%
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown. White and Black adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. 8, 2021.
Pew Research Center
% of U.S. adults in each demographic group who say they ever use …
Twitter
Pinterest
Snapchat
Total
23%
31%
25%
Men
25%
16%
22%
Women
22%
46%
28%
Ages 18-29
42%
32%
65%
30-49
27%
34%
24%
50-64
18%
38%
12%
65+
7%
18%
2%
White
22%
34%
23%
Black
29%
35%
26%
Hispanic
23%
18%
31%
Less than $30K
12%
21%
25%
$30K-$49,999
29%
33%
27%
$50K-$74,999
22%
29%
29%
More than $75K
34%
40%
28%
High school or less
14%
22%
21%
Some college
26%
36%
32%
College graduate
33%
37%
23%
Urban
27%
30%
28%
Suburban
23%
32%
25%
Rural
18%
34%
18%
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown. White and Black adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. 8, 2021.
Pew Research Center
% of U.S. adults in each demographic group who say they ever use …
YouTube
WhatsApp
Reddit
Total
81%
23%
18%
Men
82%
26%
23%
Women
80%
21%
12%
Ages 18-29
95%
24%
36%
30-49
91%
30%
22%
50-64
83%
23%
10%
65+
49%
10%
3%
White
79%
16%
17%
Black
84%
23%
17%
Hispanic
85%
46%
14%
Less than $30K
75%
23%
10%
$30K-$49,999
83%
20%
17%
$50K-$74,999
79%
19%
20%
More than $75K
90%
29%
26%
High school or less
70%
20%
9%
Some college
86%
16%
20%
College graduate
89%
33%
26%
Urban
84%
28%
18%
Suburban
81%
23%
21%
Rural
74%
9%
10%
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown. White and Black adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. 8, 2021.
Pew Research Center
% of U.S. adults in each demographic group who say they ever use …
TikTok
Nextdoor
Total
21%
13%
Men
17%
10%
Women
24%
16%
Ages 18-29
48%
5%
30-49
22%
17%
50-64
14%
16%
65+
4%
8%
White
18%
15%
Black
30%
10%
Hispanic
31%
8%
Less than $30K
22%
6%
$30K-$49,999
29%
11%
$50K-$74,999
20%
12%
More than $75K
20%
20%
High school or less
21%
4%
Some college
24%
12%
College graduate
19%
24%
Urban
24%
17%
Suburban
20%
14%
Rural
16%
2%
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown. White and Black adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. 8, 2021.
Pew Research Center
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.
How often Americans use social media sites
For many users, social media is part of their daily routine. Seven-in-ten Facebook users – and around six-in-ten Instagram and Snapchat users – visit these sites at least once a day.
Find out more
Follow these links for more in-depth analysis of the impact of social media on American life.
CORRECTION (Jan. 11, 2022): A figure from a 2012 survey was previously incorrect in the “Who uses social media” chart. In February 2012, 81% of U.S. adults ages 18-29 said they use at least one social media site. No report of the Pew Research Center was affected by this change.
