Nearly half of American teenagers report being online “constantly” despite growing mental health concerns, according to a comprehensive Pew Research Center study released Thursday.
The survey of 1,391 U.S. teens aged 13-17, conducted from September to October 2024, found YouTube maintaining its dominance with 90% of teens using the platform, though slightly down from 95% in 2022. About 74% reported daily YouTube visits, with 15% claiming “almost constant” use.
Other popular platforms showed modest declines: TikTok usage dropped to 63% from 67%, while Snapchat decreased to 55% from 59%. X (formerly Twitter) experienced the steepest decline, falling to 17% from 23% following Elon Musk’s acquisition. Meta’s WhatsApp bucked the trend, increasing to 23% from 17% in 2022.
The study revealed significant demographic patterns, with gender and racial differences in platform preferences. Girls showed higher rates of constant TikTok use, while boys favored YouTube. Black and Hispanic teens reported substantially higher rates of constant TikTok usage (25%) compared to white teens (8%).
The findings emerge as nations worldwide grapple with social media’s impact on youth. Australia recently enacted legislation banning children under 16 from social networks, though questions remain about enforcement feasibility and potential isolation of vulnerable youth.
