Social Media Trends Shift, Yet YouTube Remains King
A new Pew Research survey shows that YouTube and Facebook remain the most widely used social platforms among U.S. adults, while only about half say they use Instagram and even fewer are on TikTok.
According to the latest findings, Americans’ social media behavior mirrors the increasingly fragmented nature of traditional news audiences. This division makes it harder for public figures, companies, and organizations to consistently reach all groups.
As of 2025, YouTube leads with 84% of adults using the platform, followed by Facebook at 71%. Instagram reaches roughly half of U.S. adults. Other services—including TikTok, WhatsApp, Reddit, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), and newer entrants like Threads and Bluesky—have smaller but steadily expanding followings, particularly among specific age and demographic groups.
Usage of TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Reddit has climbed since 2021, while the already strong numbers for YouTube and Facebook have remained mostly unchanged. TikTok jumped from 21% usage in 2021 to 37% in 2025. Instagram grew from 40% to about 50%, WhatsApp from 23% to roughly one-third of adults, and Reddit from 18% to 26%.
Younger adults—those under 30—are far more inclined than older users to spend time on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Reddit. The only platforms with majority usage across every age group are YouTube and Facebook, though younger adults show particularly high engagement with YouTube, while Facebook is most popular among people ages 30 to 49.
Gender differences also stand out: women use Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at higher rates than men, whereas men are more likely to be active on X and Reddit. Black, Hispanic, and often Asian adults are more likely than white adults to use Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp.
Education levels play a role as well. Adults with more schooling are more likely to use Reddit, WhatsApp, and Instagram, while TikTok tends to attract users without a college degree. Political leanings influence platform choice too: Democrats use WhatsApp, Reddit, TikTok, Bluesky, and Threads more often, while Republicans lean toward X and Truth Social—reflecting a reversal from the partisan dynamics seen on Twitter two years earlier.
Roughly half of American adults visit Facebook and YouTube every day, and about a third check in multiple times per day. TikTok draws daily use from 24% of adults, while 10% say they use X daily. Younger adults are especially heavy daily users of both YouTube and TikTok.
