More than FACT SHEETS: Internet/BROADBAND | MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

Today around 7-in-ten Americans apply 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 beneath.

Social media apply over time

When Pew Inquiry Center began tracking social media adoption in 2005, simply five% of American adults used at least one of these platforms. Past 2011 that share had risen to half of all Americans, and today 72% of the public uses some type of social media.

U.South. adults
3/21/2005 5%
12/viii/2005 8%
eight/31/2006 11%
5/eleven/2008 21%
8/10/2008 26%
eight/31/2008 25%
12/4/2008 27%
12/xx/2008 26%
4/19/2009 36%
9/14/2009 37%
12/27/2009 42%
i/xix/2010 43%
five/30/2010 48%
9/13/2010 46%
xi/24/2010 45%
11/28/2010 46%
12/21/2010 47%
v/22/2011 fifty%
eight/26/2011 l%
ii/nineteen/2012 53%
8/7/2012 59%
12/ix/2012 54%
5/19/2013 61%
7/14/2013 60%
9/30/2013 63%
1/26/2014 62%
seven/12/2015 65%
eleven/6/2016 69%
one/10/2018 69%
2/vii/2019 72%
ii/8/2021 72%

Pew Research Center

Who uses social media

Every bit more than Americans have adopted social media, the social media user base has also grown more representative of the broader population. Young adults were amongst the earliest social media adopters and go along to utilise these sites at high levels, but usage past older adults has increased in contempo years.

AGE

RACE

GENDER

INCOME

EDUCATION

COMMUNITY

eighteen-29 30-49 50-64 65+
iii/21/2005 7% six% 4% iii%
12/8/2005 sixteen% 9% v% ii%
eight/31/2006 41% 6% iii% 0%
five/11/2008 60% 21% 7% 2%
viii/ten/2008 65% 27% 10% three%
8/31/2008 68% 27% 9% 2%
12/4/2008 67% 30% 12% 2%
12/20/2008 59% 28% eight% 3%
4/19/2009 70% 42% twenty% 5%
9/fourteen/2009 67% 44% 21% 6%
12/27/2009 78% 47% 25% 8%
1/19/2010 76% 51% 26% seven%
5/30/2010 82% 53% 37% xi%
9/13/2010 80% 52% 31% 9%
xi/24/2010 74% 54% 33% xi%
11/28/2010 78% 54% 33% 14%
12/21/2010 76% 55% 36% 12%
5/22/2011 79% 61% 38% fourteen%
8/26/2011 82% 59% 36% 12%
2/19/2012 81% 64% 39% xvi%
8/7/2012 88% 68% 48% 22%
5/nineteen/2013 87% 72% fifty% 24%
vii/14/2013 87% 72% 49% 21%
ix/xxx/2013 89% 74% 54% 27%
1/26/2014 84% 77% 52% 27%
7/12/2015 90% 77% 51% 35%
11/six/2016 86% 80% 64% 34%
1/10/2018 88% 78% 64% 37%
2/seven/2019 90% 82% 69% 40%
2/viii/2021 84% 81% 73% 45%

Pew Research Center

White Blackness Hispanic
3/21/2005 5% 4%
12/8/2005 8% 7%
eight/31/2006 9% 11%
5/eleven/2008 19% 21%
viii/10/2008 21% 32%
8/31/2008 22% 25%
12/4/2008 26% 25%
12/20/2008 24% 27%
4/19/2009 35% 33%
ix/14/2009 39% 33%
12/27/2009 42% 42%
i/nineteen/2010 41% 44%
5/30/2010 46% 51%
9/13/2010 47% 41% forty%
eleven/24/2010 45% 43% 39%
xi/28/2010 47% 40% 44%
12/21/2010 48% 41% 44%
v/22/2011 50% 46% 51%
viii/26/2011 51% 49% 45%
two/19/2012 53% 48% 51%
8/7/2012 59% 58% 58%
12/9/2012 54% fifty% 53%
5/19/2013 60% 64% 61%
7/14/2013 56% 57%
nine/xxx/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%

Pew Enquiry Center

Men Women
3/21/2005 half dozen% 4%
12/8/2005 10% eight%
8/31/2006 13% x%
5/xi/2008 21% 22%
viii/10/2008 25% 27%
8/31/2008 25% 24%
12/iv/2008 26% 29%
12/xx/2008 25% 26%
four/19/2009 33% 38%
nine/fourteen/2009 36% 37%
12/27/2009 38% 45%
1/19/2010 39% 46%
5/30/2010 44% 52%
9/13/2010 42% 49%
xi/24/2010 39% 50%
11/28/2010 42% 50%
12/21/2010 44% l%
v/22/2011 47% 54%
8/26/2011 fifty% 50%
2/19/2012 50% 56%
8/7/2012 54% 64%
12/9/2012 fifty% 58%
5/nineteen/2013 59% 63%
7/14/2013 57% 62%
9/thirty/2013 sixty% 66%
one/26/2014 60% 63%
seven/12/2015 62% 68%
11/6/2016 66% 72%
1/x/2018 65% 73%
two/vii/2019 65% 78%
2/8/2021 66% 78%

Pew Inquiry Center

Less than $30,000 $thirty,000-$49,999 $50,000-$74,999 $75,000+
3/21/2005 3% 6% 8% seven%
12/8/2005 5% 9% 9% 15%
8/31/2006 eight% 16% nine% x%
5/11/2008 23% 23% nineteen% 25%
eight/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/xiv/2009 32% 40% 43% 50%
12/27/2009 37% 43% 47% 53%
1/nineteen/2010 39% 43% 48% 49%
five/thirty/2010 42% 54% 50% 60%
nine/13/2010 38% 48% 54% 63%
eleven/24/2010 39% 46% 53% 57%
11/28/2010 forty% fifty% 50% 58%
12/21/2010 39% 52% 59% 60%
5/22/2011 42% lx% 56% 66%
viii/26/2011 42% 54% 55% 64%
ii/19/2012 46% 58% 57% 68%
eight/7/2012 55% 59% 61% 73%
12/9/2012 48% 56% 60% 65%
v/xix/2013 57% 63% 69% 68%
seven/xiv/2013 52% 59% 63% 71%
9/xxx/2013 58% 64% 70% 73%
1/26/2014 58% 64% 67% 74%
7/12/2015 56% 69% 72% 78%
eleven/6/2016 lx% 71% 73% 78%
1/10/2018 63% 74% 74% 77%
2/7/2019 68% seventy% 83% 78%
ii/8/2021 69% 76% 65% 78%

Pew Inquiry Center

High schoolhouse or less Some college College graduate
3/21/2005 3% five% 10%
12/8/2005 5% x% 13%
viii/31/2006 ix% 17% nine%
five/11/2008 eighteen% 29% 21%
8/10/2008 22% 32% 29%
8/31/2008 xix% 28% 32%
12/four/2008 20% 38% 33%
12/xx/2008 19% 35% 32%
4/19/2009 27% 44% 44%
ix/14/2009 27% 44% 48%
12/27/2009 29% 53% 55%
ane/xix/2010 32% 54% 50%
v/thirty/2010 37% 58% 59%
9/thirteen/2010 34% 55% 57%
eleven/24/2010 33% 55% 56%
xi/28/2010 36% 54% 56%
12/21/2010 35% 56% 60%
five/22/2011 39% 58% 63%
8/26/2011 39% 64% 59%
2/19/2012 41% 65% 64%
eight/7/2012 48% 68% 69%
12/nine/2012 44% 62% 62%
5/xix/2013 52% 67% 69%
7/14/2013 47% 67% 71%
9/thirty/2013 51% 70% 73%
1/26/2014 50% 71% 69%
7/12/2015 54% seventy% 76%
11/6/2016 59% 73% 78%
1/10/2018 60% 72% 79%
2/vii/2019 64% 74% 79%
2/viii/2021 64% 76% 77%

Pew Inquiry Center

Urban Suburban Rural
3/21/2005 6% five% 3%
12/8/2005 ten% eight% half-dozen%
8/31/2006 xiv% 10% 10%
5/11/2008 24% 22% 16%
8/10/2008 30% 25% 19%
eight/31/2008 29% 24% 18%
12/four/2008 30% 28% 21%
12/twenty/2008 24% 19% 14%
4/nineteen/2009 29% 33% 21%
9/fourteen/2009 33% 31% 28%
12/27/2009 45% 43% 34%
ane/19/2010 45% 43% 35%
5/30/2010 53% 50% 39%
nine/13/2010 48% fifty% 32%
11/24/2010 48% 46% 40%
11/28/2010 50% 46% 41%
12/21/2010 51% 49% 39%
five/22/2011 53% 52% 44%
viii/26/2011 53% 51% 42%
ii/19/2012 56% 54% 45%
viii/7/2012 60% 61% fifty%
12/9/2012 56% 55% 47%
five/nineteen/2013 64% 61% 56%
7/14/2013 64% 60% 49%
9/xxx/2013 66% 63% 55%
1/26/2014 63% 64% 53%
seven/12/2015 64% 68% 58%
11/6/2016 69% 71% lx%
1/10/2018 75% 69% 59%
2/7/2019 76% 72% 66%
2/8/2021 76% 71% 66%

Pew Research Center

Which social media platforms are virtually common

YouTube and Facebook are the most-widely used online platforms, and its user base is almost broadly representative of the population equally a whole. Smaller shares of Americans use sites such as Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Facebook Pinterest Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Snapchat YouTube WhatsApp Reddit TikTok Nextdoor
viii/5/2012 54% 10% 9% 16% xiii%
8/7/2012 14%
12/ix/2012 13% eleven% 13%
12/16/2012 57%
5/19/2013 xv%
7/14/2013 16%
9/sixteen/2013 57% 17% 14% 17% 14%
9/thirty/2013 16%
1/26/2014 16%
9/21/2014 58% 22% 21% 23% 19%
4/12/2015 62% 26% 24% 22% xx%
4/four/2016 68% 26% 28% 25% 21%
1/x/2018 68% 29% 35% 25% 24% 27% 73% 22%
ii/vii/2019 69% 28% 37% 27% 22% 24% 73% twenty% 11%
2/8/2021 69% 31% 40% 28% 23% 25% 81% 23% 18% 21% xiii%

Pew Research Center

Who uses each social media platform

Usage of the major social media platforms varies past factors such as age, gender and educational attainment.

Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn

Twitter
Pinterest
Snapchat

YouTube
WhatsApp
Reddit

TikTok
Nextdoor

% of U.S. adults in each demographic group who say they ever utilize …

Facebook Instagram LinkedIn
Total 69% 40% 28%
Men 61% 36% 31%
Women 77% 44% 26%
Ages 18-29 lxx% 71% 30%
30-49 77% 48% 36%
l-64 73% 29% 33%
65+ 50% thirteen% 11%
White 67% 35% 29%
Black 74% 49% 27%
Hispanic 72% 52% nineteen%
Less than $30K 70% 35% 12%
$30K-$49,999 76% 45% 21%
$50K-$74,999 61% 39% 21%
More than than $75K 70% 47% 50%
High school or less 64% 30% 10%
Some higher 71% 44% 28%
College graduate 73% 49% 51%
Urban seventy% 45% 30%
Suburban seventy% 41% 33%
Rural 67% 25% xv%

Note: Respondents who did not give an reply are not shown. White and Blackness adults include those who report being only one race and are non Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted January. 25-Feb. viii, 2021.

Pew Enquiry Center

% of U.S. adults in each demographic group who say they ever utilise …

Twitter Pinterest 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% xviii% ii%
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 $75K 34% 40% 28%
High school or less 14% 22% 21%
Some college 26% 36% 32%
Higher graduate 33% 37% 23%
Urban 27% 30% 28%
Suburban 23% 32% 25%
Rural 18% 34% eighteen%

Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are non shown. White and Black adults include those who written report being only ane race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of any race.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. eight, 2021.

Pew Research Center

% of U.S. adults in each demographic group who say they ever use …

YouTube WhatsApp Reddit
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% x% three%
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% xx%
More $75K 90% 29% 26%
Loftier school or less 70% twenty% 9%
Some college 86% 16% xx%
College graduate 89% 33% 26%
Urban 84% 28% 18%
Suburban 81% 23% 21%
Rural 74% 9% x%

Note: Respondents who did not give an reply are not shown. White and Black adults include those who report being only i race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of whatsoever race.
Source: Survey of U.Due south. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. 8, 2021.

Pew Research Centre

% of U.S. adults in each demographic grouping who say they ever use …

TikTok Nextdoor
Total 21% 13%
Men 17% ten%
Women 24% 16%
Ages 18-29 48% 5%
30-49 22% 17%
fifty-64 14% 16%
65+ four% 8%
White 18% fifteen%
Black xxx% x%
Hispanic 31% 8%
Less than $30K 22% six%
$30K-$49,999 29% 11%
$50K-$74,999 xx% 12%
More than $75K 20% 20%
High school or less 21% 4%
Some higher 24% 12%
Higher graduate 19% 24%
Urban 24% 17%
Suburban twenty% 14%
Rural 16% 2%

Notation: Respondents who did not give an respond are not shown. White and Black adults include those who report being only one race and are not Hispanic. Hispanics are of whatsoever race.
Source: Survey of U.S. adults conducted Jan. 25-Feb. viii, 2021.

Pew Research Center

Today around seven-in-ten Americans employ 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 mural over the past decade beneath.

How often Americans apply social media sites

For many users, social media is part of their daily routine. 7-in-10 Facebook users – and around half-dozen-in-10 Instagram and Snapchat users – visit these sites at to the lowest degree one time a twenty-four hours.

Platform Less frequently Weekly Daily
Facebook 12% 17% 70%
Snapchat 19% 21% 59%
Instagram 20% 21% 59%
Twitter 27% 27% 46%
YouTube 16% 29% 54%

Pew Research Eye

Find out more

Follow these links for more than 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 upward for some platforms, but non Facebook Apr 7, 2021
10 facts about Americans and Facebook June 1, 2021
seven facts about Americans and Instagram Oct 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 Feb 2012, 81% of U.S. adults ages 18-29 said they use at least ane social media site. No report of the Pew Research Center was affected past this change.