The consumption of social networks between American adults continues to transform in 2025. Although platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and Reddit show sustained growth in their number of users, YouTube continues to occupy first place as the preferred network nationwide. This follows from the most recent analysis prepared by the Pew Research Center and published this November.
According to the report, the 84% of adults in the United States claims to use YouTube at some point, a figure that maintains it as the most widespread platform, both among adults and adolescents in the country. Facebook It retains second position, with 71% acceptance in the adult population. For its part, instagram It is located in the third step, being used by half of the adults surveyed.
Other social networks show lower levels of penetration: TikTok reaches 37% of adults, while WhatsApp reaches 32%. Reddit, Snapchat and X (formerly known as Twitter) have an even smaller user base, with numbers close to 26%, 25% and 21% respectively.
In the emerging platforms segment, Threads, Bluesky and Truth Social are used by approximately one in ten American adults or fewer.
A relevant piece of information from the study is the constant growth of platforms such as TikTok, instagram, WhatsApp and reddit in recent years. TikTok went from being used by 21% of adults in 2021 to 37% in 2025. Instagram also grew, from 40% to 50% in the same period. WhatsApp added nine percentage points since 2021, reaching 32% of adults. Meanwhile, Reddit went from 18% to 26%.
Despite these advances, both YouTube as Facebook have maintained stable user shares in recent years, showing the strength of their roots in American digital life.
Network use varies considerably depending on age. Those under thirty years of age lead the adoption of Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and Reddit. Eight out of ten adults between 18 and 29 years old say they use Instagram, a figure that falls to 19% in the 65 or older group. Nevertheless, YouTube and Facebook They are the only spaces where the majority of all age groups have a presence, although younger users resort in greater proportion to YouTube, and those between 30 and 49 years old do so with Facebook.
Disparities are also seen by gender, ethnicity, educational level and political identification. Women more frequently use Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, while men prefer X and Reddit. The Hispanic and African American population has higher rates of use of Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp compared to the non-Hispanic white population.
In terms of education, those with higher education tend to use Reddit, WhatsApp and Instagram more, and those with less education opt more frequently for TikTok. Supporters of the Democratic Party and its independents show more inclination for WhatsApp, Reddit, TikTok and Threads, while Republicans stand out in X and Truth Social.
When asked about the frequency of use, 52% of adults access Facebook at least once a day, while 48% visit YouTube with the same regularity. 24% say they log into TikTok daily. The case of X is notably smaller, with only 10% daily users.
There are marked generational differences in the frequency of use. Among the youngest (18 to 29 years old), almost half use TikTok every day and two-thirds are daily YouTube users, while among adults over 65 years old only 5% consult TikTok daily and 27% regularly access YouTube. On the other hand, Facebook shows greater daily participation in the 30 to 64 age group, touching 58% and 54% respectively.
The data shows that daily usage patterns respond not only to the global popularity of a platform, but also to cultural, generational and socioeconomic factors that cut across American society. The preference for visual and messaging platforms, and the persistence of giants like YouTube and Facebookreflect a digital ecosystem in continuous evolution.
These results arise from two surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center between February and June 2025, among more than 10,000 American adults, using mixed methods such as mail, web and telephone interviews. The margin of error of the consultations is approximately 1.6 to 1.9 percentage points, according to the official methodology of the research center.
The original report and the complete methodology can be consulted on the portal of Pew Research Center and in previous publications prepared by this observatory of social trends.
