New Research Finds America's Top Social Media Sites: YouTube (84%) Facebook (71%), Instagram (50%) (pewresearch.org)
- Reference: 0180188815
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/11/24/0016243/new-research-finds-americas-top-social-media-sites-youtube-84-facebook-71-instagram-50
- Source link: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
YouTube
84%
71%
50%
TikTok
37%
32%
26%
Snapchat
25%
X.com (formerly Twitter)
21%
Threads
8%
Bluesky
4%
Truth Social
3%
An announcement from Pew Research [2]adds some trends and demographics :
> The Center has long tracked use of many of these platforms. Over the past few years, four of them have grown in overall use among U.S. adults — TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp and Reddit. 37% of U.S. adults report using TikTok, which is slightly up from last year and up from 21% in 2021. Half of U.S. adults now report using Instagram, which is on par with last year but up from 40% in 2021. About a third say they use WhatsApp, up from 23% in 2021. And 26% today report using Reddit, compared with 18% four years ago.
>
> While YouTube and Facebook continue to sit at the top, the shares of Americans who report using them have remained relatively stable in recent years... YouTube and Facebook are the only sites asked about that a majority in all age groups use, though for YouTube, the youngest adults are still the most likely to do so. This differs from Facebook, where 30- to 49-year-olds most commonly say they use it (80%).
Other interesting statistics:
"More than half of women report using Instagram (55%), compared with under half of men (44%). Alternatively, men are more likely to report using platforms such as X and Reddit."
"Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are more likely to report using WhatsApp, Reddit, TikTok, Bluesky and Threads."
[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
[2] https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/20/americans-social-media-use-2025/
Mastodon is missing. (Score:2)
This poll is incomplete. This matters, because it omits the one category that disrupts the narrative. Enslave your voice to a centralized cabal of voice-changers, or... ...understand and use Mastodon.
Re:Mastodon is missing. (Score:4, Funny)
They tried to include it but the number was statistically insignificant.
Re: (Score:2)
> They tried to include it but the number was statistically insignificant.
Which is a good thing - keeps all the influencers and other weirdos out, making it far more useful.
What? (Score:2)
Is any website/app social media now?
Some missing (Score:2)
Did anyone find AOL on that list?
TikTok? (Score:3)
You mean TikTok isn't #1? Figured it would be since gen z has their faces burred in it on their phone every waking moment they have.
Re: (Score:2)
Gen Z is only a small portion of the internet-using population. Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials haven't hung up their keyboards and are on other platforms Gen Z considers "dead". Plus Gen Z [1]prefers user-generated content to traditional streaming services [variety.com] so they are also using YouTube along with their older peers that may not "get" the short-runtime Tiktok vid. So YouTube as higher viewership overall.
[1] https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/gen-z-youtube-tiktok-microdramas-1236569763/
Re: (Score:2)
Daily usage for age range 18-29: Tiktok 63%, Instagram 80%, Youtube 95%. Your observation means: the 63% of young people using TikTok spend hours on this addictive platform, while the 80% using Instagram only take a quick peek (e.g. to post a lunch picture).
Slashot (Score:3)
Popularity is now measured in Planck units.
Also in social media news (Score:1)
"X rolls out feature that shows users' country of origin - then suddenly removes it"
[1]https://mashable.com/article/e... [mashable.com]
It appears much of X's content is click-farming, often from areas where the X engagement payout is still a significant income.
[2]https://bsky.app/profile/donmu... [bsky.app]
[1] https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-x-rolls-out-country-of-origin-profiles-then-removes-it
[2] https://bsky.app/profile/donmurf.bsky.social/post/3m6dk4pejt22x
Where's Sora? (Score:3)
I thought that Gen Z was mostly communicating with each other now using AI generated memes of dead actors who can't sue to get their likeness taken off the the platform.
Re: (Score:2)
> AI generated memes of dead actors who can't sue to get their likeness taken off the the platform
Any actor popular enough that Gen Z wants to pretend to be them doesn't die. Their physical body might cease but their estate will continue for at least two more generations as their progeny fight for more money they didn't earn.
Re: Numbers dont lie (Score:2)
Ok so every comment i make now is modded as "flamebait" because AC is targetting me because being a troll isnt enough. I asked you to stop replying to my comments, now kindly piss off
Comforting... (Score:1)
I find it actually comforting that Truth Social is only at 3%. As an outsider, it's hard to tell just how large a base the truly rabid crazies have. DT seems to only make announcements there, and he pushed it pretty hard, so to see it only has a 3% uptake makes me have more genuine hope for my southern neighbour than I have had in a long time.
Re: (Score:2)
The study shows typical Truth Social user is 50+ y.o. from rural area. Nothing surprising, but it's pretty much the opposite of every other platform considered, where typical user is young and urban.
Re: (Score:2)
At 3% uptake, this doesn't surprise me about TS's user demographic. We all know that in the USA there is a direct correlation between distance from civilization and odds of being a rabid republican. What pleasantly surprised me was how low the Truth Social (read Kool Aid) uptake was among even the 50-ish percent that voted for him.
I still believe there will be a coup attempt at the end of his term. Or rather, a more serious one than last time. Rising possibly to the level of a short civil war (depending
Had a Youtube account years ago. (Score:2)
Can't recall the last time I logged in. Never saw any reason check out the rest of these sites. And where is Slashdot?
WhatsApp? (Score:4, Insightful)
I know you can post statuses, but counting WhatsApp as social media is a stretch. It's mainly used for one to one or group communication, not social media.
Re: (Score:2)
I'd say the same for YouTube. It's used to watch videos. The number of people who comment on them is minimal compared to the userbase. I'd be very curious to the exact definition of "social media" they use is. I don't think it's what most people consider to be social media.
Re: (Score:1)
Agreed, but people were allowed to indicate multiple sites (the sum is way over 100%) so you can just ignore the questionable ones without changing the rankings among the more social websites.
The fall of erstwhile-twitter is quite stunning.
Re: (Score:3)
Another problem is the ambiguity of "use", which is let to the respondents. Is occasionally viewing a video "using" Youtube? Or would it require logging in / commenting / using "like" features / letting the Youtube algorithm choose the next video?
Re: (Score:2)
How many TikTok "users" are completely passive, never posting and only viewing / listening? I'm guessing most of them.
Re: (Score:2)
Some people do regular livestreams and chats to interact with fans. That’s edging more towards social media but it’s still a stretch.
Re: (Score:3)
> "I'd say the same for YouTube. It's used to watch videos. The number of people who comment on them is minimal compared to the userbase."
That is exactly what I came to post. I use YouTube all the time. I have *never* logged into it. So for tons of people, it is not "social media".
Facebook, on the other hand, is mostly useless without a login. You can see a bit of it, then it stops.
> "I'd be very curious to the exact definition of "social media" they use is. I don't think it's what most people consi
Re: (Score:2)
I dunno, many of the YT videos I watch have thousands upon thousands of comments on them, that's more than most Fecebook/Twatter/whatever posts. And a lot of them aren't direct comments on the video but long ongoing discussion threads. It's more Reddit than a turn-on-switch-off video site.