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SOCIAL MEDIA

US teen survey shows continued rise of TikTok and fall of Facebook

By our News Team | 2022

But the latest study by Pew finds that YouTube rules the roost, with a massive 95% of American teens using the platform.

The landscape of social media is ever-changing, especially among teens who often are on the leading edge of this space. 

A new Pew Research Centre survey of American teenagers aged 13 to 17 finds TikTok has rocketed in popularity and has become a top social media platform for this group of consumers. Some 67% of teens said they use TikTok, with 16% saying they use it almost constantly.

Social Media

Photo by Cottonbro from Pexels

Meanwhile, the share of young who say they use Facebook, a dominant social media platform among teens in Pew’s 2014-15 survey, has plummeted from 71% then to 32% today.

But it is YouTube that tops the 2022 teen online landscape. Among the platforms covered in the new survey, as it is used by 95% respondents.

TikTok is next on the list of platforms that were asked about in this survey (67% usage among US teens), followed by Instagram and Snapchat, which are both used by about six-in-10 youngsters. Then comes Facebook with 32% usage, followed by smaller shares for Twitter, Twitch, WhatsApp, Reddit and Tumblr.

Many changes in the social media landscape

Changes in the social media landscape since 2014-15 extend beyond TikTok’s rise and Facebook’s fall. 

Growing numbers of teens say they are using Instagram and Snapchat since that survey. Conversely, Twitter and Tumblr saw declining shares of teens who report using their platforms. And two of the platforms that Pew tracked in the earlier survey – Vine and Google+ – no longer exist.

There are some notable demographic differences in teens’ social media choices. For example, teen boys are more likely than teen girls to say they use YouTube, Twitch and Reddit, whereas teen girls are more likely than teen boys to use TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat.

This study also explores the frequency with which teens are on each of the top five online platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook. 

Fully 35% of teens say they are using at least one of them “almost constantly”. Teen TikTok and Snapchat users are particularly engaged with these platforms, followed by teen YouTube users in close pursuit. 

A quarter of teens who use Snapchat or TikTok say they use these apps almost constantly, and a fifth of teen YouTube users say the same. When looking at teens overall, 19% say they use YouTube almost constantly, 16% say this about TikTok, and 15% about Snapchat.



Dr Kin Kariisa

Group CEO - Next Media

Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

  • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
  • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
  • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
  • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
  • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.