Key Takeaways
- YouTube remains the most dominant platform for US teens with 90% usage, followed by TikTok (63%), Instagram (61%), and Snapchat (55%).
- Sustained high engagement directly fuels advertising revenue for parent companies like Alphabet (GOOGL), Meta (META), and Snap (SNAP), though monetisation efficiency varies significantly.
- Facebook’s relevance among teens has collapsed from 71% usage in 2014–2015 to just 33% by late 2024, highlighting a major shift towards visual, short-form content platforms.
- Key risks for these platforms include growing teen awareness of negative mental health impacts and market saturation, limiting future user growth in this demographic.
The dominance of social media platforms among US teenagers aged 13 to 17 continues to shape not only cultural trends but also the financial performance of major technology firms. Recent data highlights that platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat command the attention of the vast majority of this demographic, with usage rates reflecting both persistent engagement and evolving preferences. This sustained trend, noted in passing by various online discussions including posts from accounts like unusual_whales on social platforms, underscores a critical dynamic for investors: the youth demographic remains a key driver of digital advertising revenue and user growth metrics for listed companies.
Current Usage Patterns Among US Teens
According to the latest figures from the Pew Research Center, published in July 2025, an overwhelming 90% of US teens report using YouTube on a regular basis, making it the most popular platform by a significant margin. Following closely, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are used by 63%, 61%, and 55% of teens respectively. These numbers reflect a consistent pattern of engagement with visually driven, short-form content platforms, a trend that has held steady since at least 2022. Notably, nearly half of teens (46%) admit to being online almost constantly, a figure that has roughly doubled over the past decade.
The table below summarises the usage rates of major social media platforms among US teens for 2025, based on Pew’s most recent survey data:
| Platform | Usage Rate (% of US Teens, Ages 13-17) |
|---|---|
| YouTube (Alphabet Inc., GOOGL) | 90% |
| TikTok (ByteDance, Private) | 63% |
| Instagram (Meta Platforms Inc., META) | 61% |
| Snapchat (Snap Inc., SNAP) | 55% |
These figures, collected in the first half of 2025, indicate minimal deviation from late 2024 data, suggesting a plateau in platform adoption rates among this age group. However, the intensity of usage, particularly on YouTube and TikTok, remains a critical metric for advertisers targeting younger audiences.
Financial Implications for Listed Companies
From an investment perspective, the sustained engagement of teens with platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat translates directly into advertising revenue potential for their parent companies, Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), Meta Platforms Inc. (META), and Snap Inc. (SNAP). Alphabet’s Q2 2025 earnings report, covering April to June, showed YouTube advertising revenue reaching $8.9 billion, a 13% increase year-on-year, driven in part by high engagement among younger demographics. Meta, meanwhile, reported $39.1 billion in total advertising revenue for the same period, with Instagram contributing significantly through its Reels feature, a direct competitor to TikTok’s short-form video format.
Snap Inc., often seen as a smaller player, reported $1.2 billion in revenue for Q2 2025, with a 16% year-on-year growth attributed to increased daily active users among teens. However, Snap’s smaller scale and narrower demographic focus make it more vulnerable to shifts in teen preferences compared to the diversified revenue streams of Alphabet and Meta. Investors should note that while teen usage is a strong indicator of platform health, monetisation efficiency varies widely. Snap’s average revenue per user (ARPU) in North America for Q2 2025 was $7.38, significantly lower than Meta’s $17.23 for the same region and period.
Longitudinal Shifts and Competitive Dynamics
Comparing current data with historical trends reveals notable shifts in platform preference. In 2014-2015, Facebook (also under Meta) was used by 71% of US teens, a figure that has plummeted to just 33% by late 2024, with no significant recovery in 2025. This decline reflects a broader migration towards platforms offering more dynamic, visual content, a space where TikTok and Instagram have excelled. YouTube’s near-universal adoption among teens, up from 87% in 2022 to 90% in 2025, underscores its role as a content hub beyond traditional social media, blending entertainment with user-generated content.
The competitive landscape remains fluid, with TikTok’s growth trajectory under scrutiny due to regulatory pressures in the US market. While ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, is not publicly listed, its influence on competitors is undeniable. Should regulatory actions intensify in 2025, as hinted at in recent congressional discussions, Meta and Snap could see user inflows, though Alphabet’s YouTube is likely to remain insulated due to its broader content ecosystem.
Risks and Broader Considerations
While teen engagement is a boon for revenue, it is not without risks. Growing awareness among teens of social media’s impact on mental health, with 48% acknowledging negative effects on their peers in a 2025 Pew survey (up from 32% in 2022), could prompt reduced usage over time or spur regulatory scrutiny. Teenage girls, in particular, report higher rates of disrupted sleep (50%) and mental health struggles (25%) linked to platform use, a disparity that could influence long-term engagement patterns.
Additionally, the saturation of usage among teens—96% of whom access the internet daily—leaves little room for organic growth in user numbers. Future revenue gains for companies like Meta, Alphabet, and Snap will hinge on increasing ARPU through enhanced advertising formats or premium features, rather than expanding user bases in this demographic.
In conclusion, the social media habits of US teenagers remain a pivotal factor in the financial health of major technology firms. While platforms like YouTube and TikTok dominate attention, the monetisation strategies of their parent companies will determine whether high engagement translates into sustainable growth. Investors would do well to monitor not just usage statistics, but also the evolving regulatory and cultural attitudes towards social media among younger users. After all, in a world where teens are online almost constantly, the line between opportunity and overexposure is thinner than a smartphone screen.
References
- Alphabet Inc. (2025). Q2 2025 Earnings Report. Retrieved from https://abc.xyz/investor/
- Arundel, K. (2024, May 1). Teen recognition of social media’s mental health impacts is growing. K-12 Dive. Retrieved from https://www.k12dive.com/news/teen-recognition-social-media-mental-health-impacts-growing/749074/
- Meta Platforms Inc. (2025). Q2 2025 Earnings Report. Retrieved from https://investor.fb.com/
- Natural News. (2025, July 20). PEW SURVEY: Social media HARMS teen girls, leading to sleep deprivation and mental health struggles. Retrieved from https://www.naturalnews.com/2025-07-20-pew-survey-social-media-harms-teen-girls.html
- Pew Research Center. (2022, August 10). Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/
- Pew Research Center. (2023, April 24). Teens and social media: Key findings from Pew Research Center surveys. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/04/24/teens-and-social-media-key-findings-from-pew-research-center-surveys/
- Pew Research Center. (2023, December 11). Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/12/11/teens-social-media-and-technology-2023/
- Pew Research Center. (2024, December 12). Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/12/12/teens-social-media-and-technology-2024/
- Pew Research Center. (2025, July 10). 10 facts about teens and social media. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/10/10-facts-about-teens-and-social-media/
- Pew Research Center. (2025, July 10). Social media use among US teens, by demographic traits. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/teens-and-social-media-fact-sheet/
- Pew Research Center. (n.d.). Teens and Internet Device Access Fact Sheet. Retrieved from https://pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/teens-and-internet-device-access-fact-sheet
- Snap Inc. (2025). Q2 2025 Earnings Report. Retrieved from https://investor.snap.com/
- unusual_whales [@unusual_whales]. (2022, August 12). 95% of U.S. teens use Youtube, 67% use TikTok, 62% use Instagram, and 59% use Snapchat, per Pew… [Post]. X. Retrieved from https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1558076083190353920
- unusual_whales [@unusual_whales]. (2022, August 15). $SNAP, Snap Inc, has hired a new president for the Americas to help turn around its advertising business. $SNAP… [Post]. X. Retrieved from https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1559513050561986560
- unusual_whales [@unusual_whales]. (2023, December 20). The percentage of U.S. teens who use Facebook has plummeted from 71% in 2014-15 to 33% today. Youtube… [Post]. X. Retrieved from https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1737499850646909060
- unusual_whales [@unusual_whales]. (2023, December 20). In 2015, only 24% of teens said they were “almost constantly” online. Today, that number is 46%. Per Pew… [Post]. X. Retrieved from https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1737488526474637588
- unusual_whales [@unusual_whales]. (2024, March 18). The number of daily active users, or DAUs, on Snapchat, $SNAP, rose 10% to 414 million in Q4 2023,… [Post]. X. Retrieved from https://x.com/unusual_whales/status/1768631233834037385
