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.

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.

Person wearing a beige sweater holds a phone with a translucent search bar reading 'search' and microphonecamera icons in the foreground

Search is fragmenting – credibility and trust create the new visibility

Online search behaviour has changed significantly with the rise of AI. How can African brands adapt to this new marketing landscape?

Person shopping at a deli counter holding an orange shopping basket in a cheese section of a supermarket

The move toward future-ready food packaging where materials meet AI

Researchers propose a framework for packaging that senses, learns and acts – making packaging an active, AI-powered tool against food waste.

Conference stage with a woman in a patterned dress speaking to an audience large screens display '' logos and banners for a marketers conference with 'institute of marketing in malawi' branding on stage panels and backdrop

Malawi’s marketers urged to put trust at the heart of the profession

Country needs marketers to build recognition and consumer trust around Malawian products and national brand, says Deputy Minister.

Lingerie brand creates street-stopping advertising in Manhattan

Fashion brand suspends giant lingerie high above the city’s streets, using shadows to create a moving billboard for pedestrians and motorists.

We know AI influencers aren’t real – so why do we trust them?

Researchers describe AI influencers as having a ‘dual identity’. Consumers evaluate both ‘person’ and ‘technology’ identities at once.

Hotel receptionist assisting a guest at the check in counter with a gray suitcase nearby behind the desk

Why trust has become a critical asset for hotel industry marketers

Reputation and trust, once modest influences on hotel choice, have become some of the strongest predictors of patronage, study finds.

Three people in formal attire pose for a photo at an awards event a woman in a pink dress holds a trophy while two men in suits stand beside her against a gold confetti backdrop

FNB bank’s eBucks programme dominates the 2026 SA loyalty awards

South African brands are increasingly setting the global benchmark for customer loyalty strategies, organisers say.

Portrait of a man with short black hair and a beard wearing a black button down shirt against a light gray background

Zambia’s strongest creative ideas are emerging from local truths

Global influences among younger consumers are still present, but they are being filtered through a distinctly Zambian lens.

Yellow humanoid robot at a bakery counter inspecting a display of donuts on display in front of glass cases

Consumers have doubts about products when they’re designed by AI

Researchers find that lack of perceived ‘genuine care’ is the mechanism connecting AI involvement to lower trust ratings.

Top african marketing voices confirmed for amc

Top African marketing voices confirmed for AMC 2026

Explore the 2026 AMC Conference speaker line-up. Top African marketing voices gather in Zambia to tackle AI, AfCFTA, and brand power. Register today.

Person holding two smartphones with app icons visible on their screens a large tv screen in the background shows colorful app icons

Broadcast Research Council confirms launch of total video measurement

New industry currency will bring South African television and online video audiences together in a single measurement system.