Social Media 2018: YouTube Tops Facebook, Snapchat Gains

A new Pew research study shows the latest shifting patterns in social media usage. Unsurprisingly, Facebook and YouTube dominate the landscape, with large majorities of U.S. adults using each site. But younger Americans, particularly those 18 to 24, are embracing a variety of platforms and using them very frequently.

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The typical American reports using three of the eight major platforms surveyed by Pew Research. Included in the new study were Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Linkein, Pinterest and WhatsApp.

78% of 18- to 24-year-olds in the U.S. use Snapchat, according to Pew, with 71% visiting the platform multiple times each day. 71% in this age group also use Instagram and 45% frequent Twitter.

Don't Discount Facebook and YouTube 68% of U.S. adults are Facebook users, and roughly 75% them visit Facebook daily. With the exception of those 65 and older, a majority of Americans across a wide range of demographic groups now use Facebook.But YouTube, which has added many social elements, has even more users. Now, nearly 75% of U.S. adults and 94% of 18- to 24-year-olds use the video platform.

Trouble Ahead?But for all of the increases in use of social platforms, particularly by younger adults, there are signs of trouble ahead. 59% of social media users say it would not be hard to give up social media, with 29% indicating that it would not be hard at all.