MORE FACT SHEETS: INTERNET/BROADBAND | MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
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Today around seven-in-ten Americans use social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, share information and entertain themselves. Explore the patterns and trends shaping the social media landscape over the past decade below.
Social media use over time
When Pew Research Center began tracking social media adoption in 2005, just 5% of American adults used at least one of these platforms. By 2011 that share had risen to half of all Americans, and today 72% of the public uses some type of social media.
Who uses social media
As more Americans have adopted social media, the social media user base has also grown more representative of the broader population. Young adults were among the earliest social media adopters and continue to use these sites at high levels, but usage by older adults has increased in recent years.
| 18-29 | 30-49 | 50-64 | 65+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/21/2005 | 7% | 6% | 4% | 3% |
| 12/8/2005 | 16% | 9% | 5% | 2% |
| 8/31/2006 | 41% | 6% | 3% | 0% |
| 5/11/2008 | 60% | 21% | 7% | 2% |
| 8/10/2008 | 65% | 27% | 10% | 3% |
| 8/31/2008 | 68% | 27% | 9% | 2% |
| 12/4/2008 | 67% | 30% | 12% | 2% |
| 12/20/2008 | 59% | 28% | 8% | 3% |
| 4/19/2009 | 70% | 42% | 20% | 5% |
| 9/14/2009 | 67% | 44% | 21% | 6% |
| 12/27/2009 | 78% | 47% | 25% | 8% |
| 1/19/2010 | 76% | 51% | 26% | 7% |
| 5/30/2010 | 82% | 53% | 37% | 11% |
| 9/13/2010 | 80% | 52% | 31% | 9% |
| 11/24/2010 | 74% | 54% | 33% | 11% |
| 11/28/2010 | 78% | 54% | 33% | 14% |
| 12/21/2010 | 76% | 55% | 36% | 12% |
| 5/22/2011 | 79% | 61% | 38% | 14% |
| 8/26/2011 | 82% | 59% | 36% | 12% |
| 2/19/2012 | 81% | 64% | 39% | 16% |
| 8/7/2012 | 88% | 68% | 48% | 22% |
| 5/19/2013 | 87% | 72% | 50% | 24% |
| 7/14/2013 | 87% | 72% | 49% | 21% |
| 9/30/2013 | 89% | 74% | 54% | 27% |
| 1/26/2014 | 84% | 77% | 52% | 27% |
| 7/12/2015 | 90% | 77% | 51% | 35% |
| 11/6/2016 | 86% | 80% | 64% | 34% |
| 1/10/2018 | 88% | 78% | 64% | 37% |
| 2/7/2019 | 90% | 82% | 69% | 40% |
| 2/8/2021 | 84% | 81% | 73% | 45% |
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2005-2021.
| White | Black | Hispanic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/21/2005 | 5% | 4% | |
| 12/8/2005 | 8% | 7% | |
| 8/31/2006 | 9% | 11% | |
| 5/11/2008 | 19% | 21% | |
| 8/10/2008 | 21% | 32% | |
| 8/31/2008 | 22% | 25% | |
| 12/4/2008 | 26% | 25% | |
| 12/20/2008 | 24% | 27% | |
| 4/19/2009 | 35% | 33% | |
| 9/14/2009 | 39% | 33% | |
| 12/27/2009 | 42% | 42% | |
| 1/19/2010 | 41% | 44% | |
| 5/30/2010 | 46% | 51% | |
| 9/13/2010 | 47% | 41% | 40% |
| 11/24/2010 | 45% | 43% | 39% |
| 11/28/2010 | 47% | 40% | 44% |
| 12/21/2010 | 48% | 41% | 44% |
| 5/22/2011 | 50% | 46% | 51% |
| 8/26/2011 | 51% | 49% | 45% |
| 2/19/2012 | 53% | 48% | 51% |
| 8/7/2012 | 59% | 58% | 58% |
| 12/9/2012 | 54% | 50% | 53% |
| 5/19/2013 | 60% | 64% | 61% |
| 7/14/2013 | 56% | 57% | |
| 9/30/2013 | 62% | 58% | 66% |
| 1/26/2014 | 59% | 61% | 66% |
| 7/12/2015 | 65% | 56% | 65% |
| 11/6/2016 | 69% | 63% | 74% |
| 1/10/2018 | 68% | 69% | 72% |
| 2/7/2019 | 73% | 69% | 70% |
| 2/8/2021 | 69% | 77% | 80% |
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown. White and Black adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race.
Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2005-2021.
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| 3/21/2005 | 6% | 4% |
| 12/8/2005 | 10% | 8% |
| 8/31/2006 | 13% | 10% |
| 5/11/2008 | 21% | 22% |
| 8/10/2008 | 25% | 27% |
| 8/31/2008 | 25% | 24% |
| 12/4/2008 | 26% | 29% |
| 12/20/2008 | 25% | 26% |
| 4/19/2009 | 33% | 38% |
| 9/14/2009 | 36% | 37% |
| 12/27/2009 | 38% | 45% |
| 1/19/2010 | 39% | 46% |
| 5/30/2010 | 44% | 52% |
| 9/13/2010 | 42% | 49% |
| 11/24/2010 | 39% | 50% |
| 11/28/2010 | 42% | 50% |
| 12/21/2010 | 44% | 50% |
| 5/22/2011 | 47% | 54% |
| 8/26/2011 | 50% | 50% |
| 2/19/2012 | 50% | 56% |
| 8/7/2012 | 54% | 64% |
| 12/9/2012 | 50% | 58% |
| 5/19/2013 | 59% | 63% |
| 7/14/2013 | 57% | 62% |
| 9/30/2013 | 60% | 66% |
| 1/26/2014 | 60% | 63% |
| 7/12/2015 | 62% | 68% |
| 11/6/2016 | 66% | 72% |
| 1/10/2018 | 65% | 73% |
| 2/7/2019 | 65% | 78% |
| 2/8/2021 | 66% | 78% |
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2005-2021.
| Less than $30,000 | $30,000-$49,999 | $50,000-$74,999 | $75,000+ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/21/2005 | 3% | 6% | 8% | 7% |
| 12/8/2005 | 5% | 9% | 9% | 15% |
| 8/31/2006 | 8% | 16% | 9% | 10% |
| 5/11/2008 | 23% | 23% | 19% | 25% |
| 8/10/2008 | 27% | 28% | 28% | 30% |
| 8/31/2008 | 22% | 26% | 33% | 28% |
| 12/4/2008 | 24% | 34% | 27% | 35% |
| 12/20/2008 | 26% | 29% | 27% | 32% |
| 4/19/2009 | 30% | 39% | 43% | 47% |
| 9/14/2009 | 32% | 40% | 43% | 50% |
| 12/27/2009 | 37% | 43% | 47% | 53% |
| 1/19/2010 | 39% | 43% | 48% | 49% |
| 5/30/2010 | 42% | 54% | 50% | 60% |
| 9/13/2010 | 38% | 48% | 54% | 63% |
| 11/24/2010 | 39% | 46% | 53% | 57% |
| 11/28/2010 | 40% | 50% | 50% | 58% |
| 12/21/2010 | 39% | 52% | 59% | 60% |
| 5/22/2011 | 42% | 60% | 56% | 66% |
| 8/26/2011 | 42% | 54% | 55% | 64% |
| 2/19/2012 | 46% | 58% | 57% | 68% |
| 8/7/2012 | 55% | 59% | 61% | 73% |
| 12/9/2012 | 48% | 56% | 60% | 65% |
| 5/19/2013 | 57% | 63% | 69% | 68% |
| 7/14/2013 | 52% | 59% | 63% | 71% |
| 9/30/2013 | 58% | 64% | 70% | 73% |
| 1/26/2014 | 58% | 64% | 67% | 74% |
| 7/12/2015 | 56% | 69% | 72% | 78% |
| 11/6/2016 | 60% | 71% | 73% | 78% |
| 1/10/2018 | 63% | 74% | 74% | 77% |
| 2/7/2019 | 68% | 70% | 83% | 78% |
| 2/8/2021 | 69% | 76% | 65% | 78% |
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2005-2021.
| High school or less | Some college | College graduate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/21/2005 | 3% | 5% | 10% |
| 12/8/2005 | 5% | 10% | 13% |
| 8/31/2006 | 9% | 17% | 9% |
| 5/11/2008 | 18% | 29% | 21% |
| 8/10/2008 | 22% | 32% | 29% |
| 8/31/2008 | 19% | 28% | 32% |
| 12/4/2008 | 20% | 38% | 33% |
| 12/20/2008 | 19% | 35% | 32% |
| 4/19/2009 | 27% | 44% | 44% |
| 9/14/2009 | 27% | 44% | 48% |
| 12/27/2009 | 29% | 53% | 55% |
| 1/19/2010 | 32% | 54% | 50% |
| 5/30/2010 | 37% | 58% | 59% |
| 9/13/2010 | 34% | 55% | 57% |
| 11/24/2010 | 33% | 55% | 56% |
| 11/28/2010 | 36% | 54% | 56% |
| 12/21/2010 | 35% | 56% | 60% |
| 5/22/2011 | 39% | 58% | 63% |
| 8/26/2011 | 39% | 64% | 59% |
| 2/19/2012 | 41% | 65% | 64% |
| 8/7/2012 | 48% | 68% | 69% |
| 12/9/2012 | 44% | 62% | 62% |
| 5/19/2013 | 52% | 67% | 69% |
| 7/14/2013 | 47% | 67% | 71% |
| 9/30/2013 | 51% | 70% | 73% |
| 1/26/2014 | 50% | 71% | 69% |
| 7/12/2015 | 54% | 70% | 76% |
| 11/6/2016 | 59% | 73% | 78% |
| 1/10/2018 | 60% | 72% | 79% |
| 2/7/2019 | 64% | 74% | 79% |
| 2/8/2021 | 64% | 76% | 77% |
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown. ‘High school or less’ includes both ‘Less than high school graduate’ and ‘High school graduate’. The 2021 sample is too small to separate these two categories.
Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2005-2021.
| Urban | Suburban | Rural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/21/2005 | 6% | 5% | 3% |
| 12/8/2005 | 10% | 8% | 6% |
| 8/31/2006 | 14% | 10% | 10% |
| 5/11/2008 | 24% | 22% | 16% |
| 8/10/2008 | 30% | 25% | 19% |
| 8/31/2008 | 29% | 24% | 18% |
| 12/4/2008 | 30% | 28% | 21% |
| 12/20/2008 | 24% | 19% | 14% |
| 4/19/2009 | 29% | 33% | 21% |
| 9/14/2009 | 33% | 31% | 28% |
| 12/27/2009 | 45% | 43% | 34% |
| 1/19/2010 | 45% | 43% | 35% |
| 5/30/2010 | 53% | 50% | 39% |
| 9/13/2010 | 48% | 50% | 32% |
| 11/24/2010 | 48% | 46% | 40% |
| 11/28/2010 | 50% | 46% | 41% |
| 12/21/2010 | 51% | 49% | 39% |
| 5/22/2011 | 53% | 52% | 44% |
| 8/26/2011 | 53% | 51% | 42% |
| 2/19/2012 | 56% | 54% | 45% |
| 8/7/2012 | 60% | 61% | 50% |
| 12/9/2012 | 56% | 55% | 47% |
| 5/19/2013 | 64% | 61% | 56% |
| 7/14/2013 | 64% | 60% | 49% |
| 9/30/2013 | 66% | 63% | 55% |
| 1/26/2014 | 63% | 64% | 53% |
| 7/12/2015 | 64% | 68% | 58% |
| 11/6/2016 | 69% | 71% | 60% |
| 1/10/2018 | 75% | 69% | 59% |
| 2/7/2019 | 76% | 72% | 66% |
| 2/8/2021 | 76% | 71% | 66% |
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2005-2021.
Which social media platforms are most common
YouTube and Facebook are the most-widely used online platforms, and its user base is most broadly representative of the population as a whole. Smaller shares of Americans use sites such as Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.
| Snapchat | YouTube | TikTok | Nextdoor | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/5/2012 | 54% | 10% | 9% | 16% | 13% | ||||||
| 8/7/2012 | 14% | ||||||||||
| 12/9/2012 | 13% | 11% | 13% | ||||||||
| 12/16/2012 | 57% | ||||||||||
| 5/19/2013 | 15% | ||||||||||
| 7/14/2013 | 16% | ||||||||||
| 9/16/2013 | 57% | 17% | 14% | 17% | 14% | ||||||
| 9/30/2013 | 16% | ||||||||||
| 1/26/2014 | 16% | ||||||||||
| 9/21/2014 | 58% | 22% | 21% | 23% | 19% | ||||||
| 4/12/2015 | 62% | 26% | 24% | 22% | 20% | ||||||
| 4/4/2016 | 68% | 26% | 28% | 25% | 21% | ||||||
| 1/10/2018 | 68% | 29% | 35% | 25% | 24% | 27% | 73% | 22% | |||
| 2/7/2019 | 69% | 28% | 37% | 27% | 22% | 24% | 73% | 20% | 11% | ||
| 2/8/2021 | 69% | 31% | 40% | 28% | 23% | 25% | 81% | 23% | 18% | 21% | 13% |
Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.
Source: Surveys of U.S. adults conducted 2012-2021.
Who uses each social media platform
Usage of the major social media platforms varies by factors such as age, gender and educational attainment.
| Total | 69% | 40% | 28% |
| Men | 61% | 36% | 31% |
| Women | 77% | 44% | 26% |
| Ages 18-29 | 70% | 71% | 30% |
| 30-49 | 77% | 48% | 36% |
| 50-64 | 73% | 29% | 33% |
| 65+ | 50% | 13% | 11% |
| White | 67% | 35% | 29% |
| Black | 74% | 49% | 27% |
| Hispanic | 72% | 52% | 19% |
| Less than $30K | 70% | 35% | 12% |
| $30K-$49,999 | 76% | 45% | 21% |
| $50K-$74,999 | 61% | 39% | 21% |
| More than $75K | 70% | 47% | 50% |
| High school or less | 64% | 30% | 10% |
| Some college | 71% | 44% | 28% |
| College graduate | 73% | 49% | 51% |
| Urban | 70% | 45% | 30% |
| Suburban | 70% | 41% | 33% |
| Rural | 67% | 25% | 15% |
| Snapchat | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 23% | 31% | 25% |
| Men | 25% | 16% | 22% |
| Women | 22% | 46% | 28% |
| Ages 18-29 | 42% | 32% | 65% |
| 30-49 | 27% | 34% | 24% |
| 50-64 | 18% | 38% | 12% |
| 65+ | 7% | 18% | 2% |
| White | 22% | 34% | 23% |
| Black | 29% | 35% | 26% |
| Hispanic | 23% | 18% | 31% |
| Less than $30K | 12% | 21% | 25% |
| $30K-$49,999 | 29% | 33% | 27% |
| $50K-$74,999 | 22% | 29% | 29% |
| More than $75K | 34% | 40% | 28% |
| High school or less | 14% | 22% | 21% |
| Some college | 26% | 36% | 32% |
| College graduate | 33% | 37% | 23% |
| Urban | 27% | 30% | 28% |
| Suburban | 23% | 32% | 25% |
| Rural | 18% | 34% | 18% |
| YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 81% | 23% | 18% |
| Men | 82% | 26% | 23% |
| Women | 80% | 21% | 12% |
| Ages 18-29 | 95% | 24% | 36% |
| 30-49 | 91% | 30% | 22% |
| 50-64 | 83% | 23% | 10% |
| 65+ | 49% | 10% | 3% |
| White | 79% | 16% | 17% |
| Black | 84% | 23% | 17% |
| Hispanic | 85% | 46% | 14% |
| Less than $30K | 75% | 23% | 10% |
| $30K-$49,999 | 83% | 20% | 17% |
| $50K-$74,999 | 79% | 19% | 20% |
| More than $75K | 90% | 29% | 26% |
| High school or less | 70% | 20% | 9% |
| Some college | 86% | 16% | 20% |
| College graduate | 89% | 33% | 26% |
| Urban | 84% | 28% | 18% |
| Suburban | 81% | 23% | 21% |
| Rural | 74% | 9% | 10% |
| TikTok | Nextdoor | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 21% | 13% |
| Men | 17% | 10% |
| Women | 24% | 16% |
| Ages 18-29 | 48% | 5% |
| 30-49 | 22% | 17% |
| 50-64 | 14% | 16% |
| 65+ | 4% | 8% |
| White | 18% | 15% |
| Black | 30% | 10% |
| Hispanic | 31% | 8% |
| Less than $30K | 22% | 6% |
| $30K-$49,999 | 29% | 11% |
| $50K-$74,999 | 20% | 12% |
| More than $75K | 20% | 20% |
| High school or less | 21% | 4% |
| Some college | 24% | 12% |
| College graduate | 19% | 24% |
| Urban | 24% | 17% |
| Suburban | 20% | 14% |
| Rural | 16% | 2% |
Today around seven-in-ten Americans use social media to connect with one another, engage with news content, share information and entertain themselves. Explore the patterns and trends shaping the social media landscape over the past decade below.
How often Americans use social media sites
For many users, social media is part of their daily routine. Seven-in-ten Facebook users – and around six-in-ten Instagram and Snapchat users – visit these sites at least once a day.
| Platform | Less frequently | Weekly | Daily |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12% | 17% | 70% | |
| Snapchat | 19% | 21% | 59% |
| 20% | 21% | 59% | |
| 27% | 27% | 46% | |
| YouTube | 16% | 29% | 54% |
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. 8, 2021.
Find out more
Follow these links for more in-depth analysis of the impact of social media on American life.
Social Media Use in 2021 April 7, 2021
Partisan differences in social media use show up for some platforms, but not Facebook April 7, 2021
10 facts about Americans and Facebook June 1, 2021
7 facts about Americans and Instagram October 7, 2021
All reports and blog posts related to social media.
CORRECTION (Jan. 11, 2022): A figure from a 2012 survey was previously incorrect in the “Who uses social media” chart. In February 2012, 81% of U.S. adults ages 18-29 said they use at least one social media site. No report of the Pew Research Center was affected by this change.
