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Universities and colleges

Social Media Use Among College Students: A Study on Instagram and Beyond

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

College students are increasingly wired, with 85% of young adults in the U.S. owning a smartphone. This has led to a significant rise in social media use, with Instagram being the top platform among college students, followed closely by Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. A study by the Pew Research Center found that Instagram use grew more rapidly than any other type of social media, from 37% in 2013 to 53% in 2014, with 49% of young adults (ages 18-29) using it daily.

Key Takeaways:

  • Instagram is the top social media site among college students, used by 53% of young adults (ages 18-29).
  • Facebook is the primary social media platform of American Internet users, with 87% of young adults (ages 18-29) using it.
  • Snapchat is used by 77% of college students on a daily basis, according to a 2015 survey from Digital Marketing Stats.
  • LinkedIn is used by 23% of people in the 18-29 age group, primarily for job searches, with over 200,000 college students joining every month.
  • Pinterest is used by 34% of people in the 18-29 age group, with users visiting the site at least once a day for fashion and recipe ideas.
  • Students visit social media sites more frequently than they post, with 49% of young adults (ages 18-29) using Instagram daily.
  • Marissa Vespa, a sophomore health care management major, uses Instagram more than other social media sites, finding it "visual" and "artistic".
  • Alarif Kalil, a junior biology major, posts photos on Instagram around four or five times a week, sharing photos of friends and events.

Statistics:

  • 85% of young adults in the U.S. own a smartphone (no citation).
  • 53% of young adults (ages 18-29) use Instagram, making it the top social media site among college students (Pew Research Center, January 9, 2015).
  • 49% of young adults (ages 18-29) use Instagram daily (Pew Research Center, January 9, 2015).
  • 37% of young adults (ages 18-29) used Instagram in 2013, growing to 53% in 2014 (Pew Research Center, January 9, 2015).
  • 87% of young adults (ages 18-29) use Facebook (no citation).
  • 77% of college students use Snapchat on a daily basis (Digital Marketing Stats, 2015).
  • 34% of people in the 18-29 age group use Pinterest (no citation).
  • 23% of people in the 18-29 age group use LinkedIn (no citation).
  • Over 200,000 college students join LinkedIn every month (no citation).

Sources:

  • Pew Research Center, Social Media Update, published on January 9, 2015.
  • Digital Marketing Stats, 2015 survey.
  • University of Minnesota Duluth, April 30 news release.

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