Teens' Social Media Habits Revealed in New Report

Strategic Insights -

A new report from the Pew Internet Project explores how teenagers and young adults use social media, revealing some surprising trends. According to the report, teens are heavily investing in Facebook, which celebrated its sixth anniversary this week, but are more lukewarm about Twitter and are no longer blogging as much as they used to. The report highlights data from two telephone surveys conducted in September, one focusing on teens aged 12 to 17 and the other on adults aged 18 and older. The report's findings provide a snapshot of the evolving landscape of social media use among young people.

Key Takeaways:

  • Blogging among teens and young adults has declined to half what it was in 2006, with only 14% of teens and 15% of young adults identifying as bloggers in 2009, compared to 28% of teens and 29% of young adults in 2006.
  • Facebook has become the primary social media platform for teens, with 75% of online teens aged 12 to 17 using the platform.
  • Twitter has not gained significant traction among teens, with only 8% of 12- to 17-year-olds who go online saying they ever use it.
  • YouTube has emerged as a popular platform for young people, with 57% of online teens aged 12 to 17 using the site.
  • Social networking continues to grow among young adults, with 65% of online adults under 30 using social media platforms.
  • Wireless connectivity is high among adults under 30, with 87% of online teens aged 12 to 17 and 94% of online young adults aged 18 to 29 using wireless connectivity.
  • Facebook and texting may be satisfying teen chat needs, with some teenagers expressing negative views about Twitter.
  • Blogging may resurface as a popular form of self-expression among young adults as they enter adulthood, with blogger Lee Aase suggesting that blogging has become "a way to communicate with the world, about more meaningful issues, not just about communicating to friends."

Statistics:

  • 75% of online teens aged 12 to 17 use Facebook (Source: Pew Internet Project)
  • 8% of 12- to 17-year-olds who go online say they ever use Twitter (Source: Pew Internet Project)
  • 57% of online teens aged 12 to 17 use YouTube (Source: Pew Internet Project)
  • 65% of online adults under 30 use social media platforms (Source: Pew Internet Project)
  • 87% of online teens aged 12 to 17 use wireless connectivity (Source: Pew Internet Project)
  • 94% of online young adults aged 18 to 29 use wireless connectivity (Source: Pew Internet Project)

Sources:

  • Pew Internet Project's report "Social Media and Mobile Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults"
  • Amanda Lenhart, researcher at the Pew Internet Project
  • Lee Aase, manager of social media at the Mayo Clinic