Nearly Half of US Teens Online ‘Constantly,’ Pew Report Finds

Students sit at a table holding digital devices such as phones and tablets during a class lesson. LBeddoe/Shutterstock

Nearly half of American teenagers are using social media sites such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat “constantly”, amid growing concerns about the impact on youth, according to a Dec. 12 report by the Pew Research Center.

Analysts found that YouTube remains the most widely used social media platform among teenagers, with 90 percent of those surveyed reporting they watch videos on the site, down slightly from 95 percent in 2022.

This was followed by ByteDance’s video-sharing platform, TikTok, used by roughly six in ten teens, as well as Instagram and Snapchat, each used by 55 percent of teens.

Teen use of Meta-owned Facebook and the platform X had fallen steeply within the past decade, the survey found.

A total of 22 percent of teens reported using Facebook, a sharp decline from 71 percent in 2014–15. About 17 percent of teens said they use X, roughly half the share from a decade ago (33 percent) and down from 23 percent in 2022.

Overall, 73 percent of teens said they visit YouTube on a daily basis, making the video-sharing platform the most widely used and visited platform among those surveyed. Among those who use the site on a daily basis, 15 percent described their use as “almost constant.”

For TikTok, 16 percent reported constant daily use while for Snapchat, 13 percent of teens surveyed said they use it constantly.

The research center surveyed U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 between Sept. 18 and Oct. 10.

The findings come as multiple social media platforms are facing lawsuits accusing them of fostering addiction and fueling the mental health crisis among children and teenagers.

A Harvard University study showed social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram produce the same neural circuitry that is caused by gambling and recreational drugs.

Florida Considers Under 14 Social Media Ban

Multiple platforms including Meta have denied claims their platforms are contributing to the mental health crisis. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in an October 2021 statement that the company cares “deeply about issues like safety, well-being, and mental health,” and had employed more people dedicated to fighting harmful content on the platforms than “any other company in our space.”

Some U.S. states have passed laws aimed at restricting access for minors without a parent’s permission.

A full under-14s ban in Florida would require children ages 14 and 15 to have parental or guardian approval to sign up for social media.

The ban is due to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, but is being challenged in court on free speech grounds.

In California, a newly-introduced bill could see it become the first state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites informing of the potential risk to children and teens.

The legislation, sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta, is already facing pushback from industry officials who have vowed to fight it under the First Amendment.

Lawmakers in Australia recently passed a bill banning children under the age of 16 from using social networks.

That legislation includes fines of up to AU$49.5 million (US$32.2 million) for companies that fail to take “reasonable steps” to prevent minors under 16 from accessing their platforms.

Children will be able to access YouTube for educational programs, according to the bill.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.