Stacy Jo Dixon
Research expert covering social media usage worldwide
Mobile social media usage in the United States - Statistics & Facts
Social media is a driving force of internet usage in the United States. Smartphones and social media are two products that U.S. consumers enjoy making the most of, meaning that mobile social media usage is commonplace and is how most American users get their online social fix. As Generation Z prefer their socials as applications, it is not hard to image that the future of social media in the U.S. lies with mobile apps.
The leading social media app in the United States in terms of active users was YouTube, with a penetration rate of 91 percent as of January 2023. Instagram and Facebook followed with an audience reach of 81 percent and 72 percent, respectively. Overall, Instagram took the lead as the most downloaded social media app in the United States in 2022, amassing over 70 thousand downloads.
The social media landscape looks quite different from the perspective of younger audiences. YouTube and Instagram are still popular amongst Generation Z users, whilst TikTok and Snapchat rank third and fourth as the most used social apps amongst this age group. With users under the age of 18, TikTok was their preferred app, followed by Pinterest and Facebook.
Unlike other well-known competitors whose engagement peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic, TikTok was able to keep its consumers coming back for more in 2022, as the app’s year-over-year growth in monthly hours spent increased by five percent. Although Facebook and YouTube have large audiences, the time spent on the app versions of these services fell by four percent.
For their overall social media experience, Gen Z is moving away from Facebook and towards more fast-paced apps like TikTok and Snapchat, meaning that the future of social media rests on Gen Z’s leaning towards social apps
Which social app takes the top spot in the U.S?
Most internet users in the United States are on social media, and there is a wide range of platforms that are available to American audiences. Social networks in general were the most used type of social online platform, followed by media sharing services, and instant messaging services.The leading social media app in the United States in terms of active users was YouTube, with a penetration rate of 91 percent as of January 2023. Instagram and Facebook followed with an audience reach of 81 percent and 72 percent, respectively. Overall, Instagram took the lead as the most downloaded social media app in the United States in 2022, amassing over 70 thousand downloads.
The social media landscape looks quite different from the perspective of younger audiences. YouTube and Instagram are still popular amongst Generation Z users, whilst TikTok and Snapchat rank third and fourth as the most used social apps amongst this age group. With users under the age of 18, TikTok was their preferred app, followed by Pinterest and Facebook.
How much time do U.S. users spend on social media apps?
Consumers in the United States spend a large part of their week, and sometimes much of their day, on social media apps. Per month, U.S. users spent an average of 26 hours on TikTok and 21 hours on the YouTube app. Moreover, Snapchat and Instagram were the apps that grabbed users’ attention more frequently than most, with over a third of Americans opening these two social apps daily.Unlike other well-known competitors whose engagement peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic, TikTok was able to keep its consumers coming back for more in 2022, as the app’s year-over-year growth in monthly hours spent increased by five percent. Although Facebook and YouTube have large audiences, the time spent on the app versions of these services fell by four percent.
Meta’s got mobile messaging covered
Meta’s networks are favorites for those looking to connect with others via instant messaging. As of October 2022, Facebook Messenger was the most used instant messaging service across all age groups in the United States. For those aged 18 to 34 years, Instagram’s messaging feature was highly utilized, with 54 percent using the app for messaging. Additionally, WhatsApp was most popular with users aged 25 to 54 years. As of early 2023, U.S. mobile users aged between 16 and 25 years received an average of 206 message notifications from their social apps every week, as well as 141 Snapchat notifications.For their overall social media experience, Gen Z is moving away from Facebook and towards more fast-paced apps like TikTok and Snapchat, meaning that the future of social media rests on Gen Z’s leaning towards social apps
