Teens and Internet, Device Access Fact Sheet
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 2014-2015 (24% vs. 46%).
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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 2014-2015 (24% vs. 46%).
YouTube is the most popular online platform among teens, with roughly nine-in-ten saying they use the site. And more than half of teens report using TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.
YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram remain the most widely used online platforms among U.S. teens. And teens are less likely to be using Facebook and Twitter (recently renamed X) than they were a decade ago.
62% of U.S. adults under 30 say they use TikTok, compared with 39% of those ages 30 to 49, 24% of those 50 to 64, and 10% of those 65 and older.
Most teens at least sometimes feel happy and peaceful when they don’t have their phone, but 44% say this makes them anxious. Half of parents say they have looked through their teen’s phone.
More than half of U.S. teens say it would be difficult for them to give up social media. 36% say they spend too much time on social media.
The landscape of social media is ever-changing, especially among teens who often are on the leading edge of this space. A new survey of American teenagers ages 13 to 17 finds that TikTok has established itself as one of the top online platforms for U.S. teens, while the share of teens who use Facebook has fallen sharply.
Majorities of teens credit social media with strengthening their friendships and providing support while also noting the emotionally charged side of these platforms.
Two-thirds of parents in the U.S. say parenting is harder today than it was 20 years ago, with many citing technologies – like social media or smartphones – as a reason.
The tech landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade, both in the United States and around the world.
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