Teens are on social media “almost constantly”

The Future. Everyone knows that teens are on social media a lot, but a new report shows that many are on them almost all the time. But, the usage is mostly concentrated on YouTube and TikTok. With a slate of new platforms gaining popularity, it may be impossible to kick the addiction… but the platforms of choice may continue to evolve.

Smart limb
According to WSJ, smartphones may as well be glued to some teens’ hands.

• A Pew Research Center survey found that half of all teens are “almost constantly” online, while 35% are “almost constantly” on a major social media platform.
• What are they mostly on? 95% are on YouTube, and 67% are on TikTok, with  Instagram and Snapchat not far behind.

The one thing teens are not on is Facebook — only 32% use the platform, compared to 71% in 2015 (according to a Pew study).

Can’t stop, won’t stop
Despite the harm that heavy social media use can have on teens, they are the industry’s most sought-after user base. At this point, YouTube is pretty impossible to replicate (just look at Vimeo and Vevo), so every platform is remaking itself to be TikTok… and tapping into that algorithmic addictiveness that gets teens hooked.

And teens know they are addicted. 33% report that they knowingly spend too much time on social platforms, and more than 50% — especially girls — say that giving up social media would be “challenging.”