Who uses social media in the United States?
At the beginning of 2023, almost 53.9 percent of social media users in the United States were women. Meta Platforms, which owns social media giants such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, found its largest audience with women aged 25 to 34 years, who made up 11.8 percent of all users. Men of the same age group followed accounting for over 11.7 percent of all Meta social platform users.How do Americans use social media?
Over the years, social media platforms have changed and evolved to suit audiences’ preferences and usage needs. Whilst some services are for microblogging, like X (formerly Twitter), some are picture- or video-oriented. In 2023, 65 percent of social media users in the U.S. claimed to use social networks, such as Facebook, whilst 59 percent used media sharing platforms, like Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest, which at their core are image- and video-based services.As of the third quarter of 2022, over half of U.S. internet users said that they followed friends, family, and people they knew on social media, whilst almost 30 percent said they followed actors, comedians, and performers. Of course, social media platform preferences differ amongst age groups, and social video service TikTok is a particular favorite amongst Generation Z. The most popular activities on the app included liking and sharing videos, as well as watching live videos.
What do Americans have to say about social media?
In 2021, Facebook met public whistleblower challenges as ex-Product Manager Frances Haugen spoke out about the damage that Facebook was causing to society. Haugen claimed that Facebook was aware of, but not addressing issues surrounding misinformation and users’ wellbeing. The discussion over the effects of social media in general is still up for debate, with 30 percent of U.S. internet users believing it was bad for society as of December 2022.As the first generation to have grown up alongside such easily accessible online technology, Gen Z provides a unique insight into the whole social media experience. Over half of Gen Z in the United States said they believed that online platforms and social media services had a responsibility to create positive online experiences for users.