Teenagers reject Facebook and flock to YouTube in shocking shift

In the United States, a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center reveals significant changes in teenagers' online habits, highlighting a shift away from traditional social media platforms. Nearly half of the teenagers surveyed reported being 'almost constantly' online, a trend that underscores the escalating importance of digital connectivity among young people. YouTube remains the dominant platform, with 90% of the 1,391 polled teens indicating they use it. Daily engagement on the platform is also substantial, as 73% of respondents log in every day to consume content. This illustrates YouTube's stronghold in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. TikTok has emerged as the second-most popular app among teenagers, with 63% usage reported by respondents. However, there is a noticeable gender disparity in app engagement; 19% of girls claim to use TikTok almost constantly, while an equivalent percentage of boys report doing the same for YouTube. The survey findings also reveal a declining interest in Facebook, where only 32% of teenagers reported usage, a sharp decline from 71% a decade ago. Other platforms experience similar downward trends, with only 6% of teenagers reporting use of Threads, Meta’s microblogging app. Instagram stands out as one of the few Meta products that still captures the attention of a majority, showcasing the teenagers' preference for visually-oriented content platforms. With just 17% of respondents using the platform formerly known as Twitter and 14% favoring Reddit, it's clear that teenagers are gravitating towards image and video-centric apps. The decline in usage of certain traditional platforms, such as Snapchat, is notable, except for WhatsApp, which has seen a rise to 23% among teenagers. These patterns suggest that while the overall online presence of teenagers is robust, there is a clear shift in their platform preferences, favoring more visually engaging and newer social media options over older alternatives.