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Pew Report Examines U.S. Teens' Social Media Use and Parental Concerns
A report from the Pew Research Center details U.S. teens' usage patterns on Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. Parents express greater concern about time spent on TikTok compared to teens themselves. The study highlights differences in messaging, posting, and experiences like bullying across the platforms.
Apr 15, 10:00 AM·2m read1 source
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U.S. teens aged 13 to 17 and their parents. The study surveyed opinions on three popular platforms: Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok. It covers aspects such as daily activities, perceived benefits, and negative experiences.
The report indicates that 57% of teens message others daily on Snapchat, with 41% doing so several times a day. In comparison, 24% of teens message daily on TikTok, and 34% on Instagram. Snapchat also leads in posting frequency, with 28% of teens sharing or posting content daily, compared to 16% on Instagram and 19% on TikTok.
primarily use these platforms for entertainment, according to the report.
Keeping up with politics or political issues ranked as the least common reason for use across all three apps. Snapchat's focus on direct connections with known individuals contributes to its higher messaging and posting rates, while Instagram and TikTok emphasize public content and viewing professional creators.
The report notes that 44% of teens reported a positive effect on their friendships from Snapchat.
This contrasts with lower positive impact reports for the other platforms. However, Snapchat also recorded the highest rate of negative experiences, with 27% of teens reporting bullying or harassment, such as rumors or name-calling.
on Time Spent Parents and teens differ in their views on time usage.
Among parents, 44% stated that their teen spends too much time on TikTok, while only 28% of teens agreed with this assessment. The report does not specify similar comparisons for Snapchat or Instagram. Broader context includes ongoing discussions about social media's effects on youth mental health.
A recent legal case found two companies liable for contributing to a young woman's addiction to their platforms, Instagram and YouTube. The companies announced plans to appeal the decision.
