From the PC as geek "toy", desktops, laptops, mobile phones and tablets have evolved into essential tools. Consumers routinely seek out audio and editorial content online. Ever-faster connections have led to the rise of online as a primary vehicle for video entertainment – to the point where the computer and mobile devices are now referred to as "second" and "third screens" respectively.
- Share of U.S. adults who subscribe to the internet in 2024 by age:
- 18-29: 99%
- 30-49: 99%
- 50-64: 98%
- 65+: 90%
(Source: Pew Research Center; 2024)
- Percentage of adults who consider social media to be very trustworthy/trustworthy:
- Adults 18-34 - 33%
- Adults 35-54 - 33%
- Adults 55+ - 19%
(Source: Katz Radio Group, Media Trust Study, June 2024)
- Percentage of U.S. adults who definitely agree or tend to agree that they are more likely to engage with advertisements on social media than on regular websites, by generation:
- Gen Z - 57%
- Millennial - 51%
- Gen X - 31%
- Baby Boomer - 18%
(Source: YouGov Profiles, October 2024)
- 96% of Millennials are more likely than Gen Z to say Facebook is their favorite platform.
(Source: GWI Core Q4 2023)
- 40% of Gen Zers are more likely than Millennials to say that Instagram is their favorite platforms.
(Source: GWI Core Q4 2023)
- 41% of Black adults 18+ consider social media to be very trustworthy/trustworthy.
(Source: Katz Media Group 2024 Media Trust Study)
- 38% of female sports fans use social media while watching or listening to sports content, such as tweeting about the game, sharing stories, etc.
(Source: Edison Research, Sports Audio Report: Female Fans, 2024)
- 26% of female sports fans are following women's sports or athletes on social media compared to five years ago.
(Source: Edison Research, Sports Audio Report: Female Fans, 2024)
- 92% of U.S. households get internet service at home.
(Source: Leichtman Research Group, December 2023)
- 59% of adults with an internet service at home watch video online daily.
(Source: Leichtman Research Group, December 2022)
- Individuals ages 65+ account for 34% of those that do not get an internet service at home.
(Source: Leichtman Research Group, December 2022)
- 70% of broadband subscribers agree that their internet service meets the needs of their household.
(Source: Leichtman Research Group, December 2023)
- 84% of social media marketers say social media will become consumers preferred channel for customerservice in 2023.
(Source: Hubspot Blog Research, Social Media Trends 2023 Report)
- 67% of homeowners have usage of the internet.
(Source: 2024 MRI-Simmons Fall Doublebase)
- 16% of U.S. social media users spend more than 4 hours a day on social media.
(Source: GWI Core Q1 2023)
- 53% of consumers say their social media usage has been higher over the last two years than the previous two years.
(Source: The Sprout Social Index, Break Through, 2023)
- As of January 2023, approximately 92% of individuals in the United States accessed the internet - up from nearly 75% in 2012.
(Source: Statista, January 2023)
- 59% of social media users have said they will use the same number of social media platforms in the next 6-12 months.
(Source: Nielsen 2023 Consumer Survey Report)
- 24% of social media users have said they will use fewer social media platforms in the next 6-12 months.
(Source: Nielsen 2023 Consumer Survey Report)
- 17% of social media users have said they will use more social media platforms in the next 6-12 months.
(Source: Nielsen 2023 Consumer Survey Report)
- Number of internet and social media users in the United States as of January 2024 (Millions):
- Internet Users - 331M
- Social media Users - 239M
(Source: Statista, January 2024)
- Consumers primary reasons for following a brand on social media:
- To stay informed about new products or services - 68%
- To have access to exclusive deals or promotions - 46%
- To content they post is enjoyable and entertainment - 45%
- To engage with the community or customers - 28%
- Because their values or mission aligns with mine - 21%
(Source: The Sprout Social Index, Break Through, 2023)
- How quickly consumers expect a response from brands on social media:
- Within minutes - 16%
- Within 1-2 hours - 23%
- Same day - 30%
- Within 2 business days - 19%
- Response time does not matter - 12%
(Source: The Sprout Social Index, Break Through, 2023)
- The most memorable brands on social media...:
- Respond to customers - 51%
- Prioritize original content over following trend topics - 38%
- Prioritize engaging directly with their audience vs. publishing a lot of content - 37%
- Publish timely, on-trend content - 33%
- Highlight the stories of audiences over their audiences over their own products/services - 28%
- Take risks with their content - 26%
- Collaborate with content creators and influencers - 25%
- Speak out about causes and news that align with their values - 25%
(Source: The Sprout Social Index, Break Through, 2023)
- How consumers feel about brands using AI in social media:
- 42% are slightly or very apprehensive
- 34% are neutral
- 24% are slightly or very excited
(Source: The Sprout Social Index, Break Through, 2023)
- Most used websites and online services used in the U.S., as of December 2023:
- Search engines - 97%
- Social media websites and apps - 60%
- Online stores - 56%
- Video websites and apps - 54%
- Company websites and apps - 38%
- News websites and apps - 32%
- Blogs - 17%
- Newsletters - 16%
- None of the above - 2%
(Source: Statista, December 2023)
Internet Service Providers used in Households:
- Xfinity/Comcast – 22%
- Spectrum – 20%
- AT&T Internet – 12%
- Verizon/Fios by Verizon – 9%
- Cox – 4%
- CenturyLink – 3%
- Optimum – 3%
- Frontier – 2%
- America On-Line (AOL) – 1%
(Source: 2024 MRI-Simmons Fall Doublebase)
Twitter users by gender and whether they expect to be on the platform in a year from now:
- Extremely/Very:
- Total - 40%
- Men - 47%
- Women - 31%
- Somewhat:
- Total - 35%
- Men - 32%
- Women - 39%
- Not very/Not at all:
- Total - 25%
- Men - 20%
- Women - 30%
(Source: MediaPost, Survey of U.S. adults conducted March 13-19, 2023)
Weekly time spent with social media on a smartphone by age (hours:minutes):
- Age 18+:
- Black - 8:49
- Total - 8:01
- Age 18 - 34:
- Black - 10:26
- Total - 9:27
- Age 35 - 49:
- Black - 8:46
- Total - 8:23
- Age 50 - 64:
- Black - 7:55
- Total - 7:17
- Age 65+:
- Black - 7:05
- Total - 6:25
(Source: Nielsen Audience Measurement Data, Q2 2024)
Percentage of U.S. users of each social media platform who say they get the following...:
- Getting news is a major or minor reason they use the platform:
- X (Twitter) - 65%
- TikTok - 41%
- Facebook - 37%
- Instagram - 33%
- They see at least one of four kinds of news related content:
- X (Twitter) - 92%
- TikTok - 90%
- Facebook - 91%
- Instagram - 82%
(Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted March 18-24, 2024)
Percentage of U.S. users of each social media platform who say they've seen posts on current events on the platform:
- People expressing opinions about current news:
- X (Twitter) - 85%
- Facebook - 84%
- TikTok - 80%
- Instagram - 67%
- Funny posts that reference current events:
- X (Twitter) - 79%
- Facebook - 81%
- TikTok - 84%
- Instagram - 73%
- News articles, whether posted, reposted, linked or screenshotted:
- X (Twitter) - 79%
- Facebook - 74%
- TikTok - 57%
- Instagram - 52%
- Information about a breaking news event as it's happening:
- X (Twitter) - 75%
- Facebook - 58%
- TikTok - 55%
- Instagram - 44%
(Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted March 18-24, 2024)
Percentage of each platform's U.S. news consumers who say where they get their news from:
- Friends, family & acquaintances:
- Facebook - 85%
- Instagram - 72%
- TikTok - 48%
- X (Twitter) - 26%
- News outlets or journalists:
- Facebook - 68%
- Instagram - 65%
- TikTok - 67%
- X (Twitter) - 80%
- Influencers or celebrities:
- Facebook - 44%
- Instagram - 59%
- TikTok - 68%
- X (Twitter) - 49%
- Advocacy or nonprofit organizations:
- Facebook - 55%
- Instagram - 52%
- TikTok - 55%
- X (Twitter) - 46%
- Other people they don't know personally:
- Facebook - 58%
- Instagram - 64%
- TikTok - 84%
- X (Twitter) - 75%
(Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted March 18-24, 2024)
Percentage of each platform's U.S. news consumers who say how often they've seen news that seems inaccurate:
- Extremely/Fairly often:
- X (Twitter) - 37%
- Facebook - 33%
- Instagram - 25%
- TikTok - 23%
- Sometimes:
- X (Twitter) - 49%
- Facebook - 51%
- Instagram - 51%
- TikTok - 49%
(Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted March 18-24, 2024)
Percentage of each platform's U.S. news consumers who say they think the platform influences which news stories they see there:
- A lot:
- Facebook - 32%
- Instagram - 27%
- X (Twitter) - 21%
- TikTok - 18%
- Some:
- Facebook - 42%
- Instagram - 45%
- X (Twitter) - 45%
- TikTok - 44%
(Source: Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted March 18-24, 2024)
Percentage of generations who agree with the following:
- "I worry I spend too much time on social media":
- Gen Z - 35%
- Millennials - 26%
- Gen X - 21%
- Boomers - 16%
- "I am using social media less than I used to":
- Gen Z - 21%
- Millennials - 22%
- Gen X - 21%
- Boomers - 21%
(Source: GWI, Social Media by generation, September 2023)
Percentage (%) of social media users, by generation, who say they mainly use platforms for the following reasons:
- Keeping in touch with friends/family:
- Gen Z - 46%
- Millennials - 49%
- Gen X - 55%
- Boomers - 60%
- Filling spare time:
- Gen Z - 42%
- Millennials - 38%
- Gen X - 36%
- Boomers - 34%
- Finding content:
- Gen Z - 34%
- Millennials - 31%
- Gen X - 28%
- Boomers - 24%
- Seeing what's trending/what's being talked about:
- Gen Z - 32%
- Millennials - 30%
- Gen X - 27%
- Boomers - 22%
- Reading news stories:
- Gen Z - 31%
- Millennials - 36%
- Gen X - 39%
- Boomers - 41%
(Source: GWI, Social Media by generation, September 2023)
Percentage (%) of social media users, by generation, who say they follow these certain accounts:
- Family, friends, or other people you may know:
- Gen Z - 47%
- Millennials - 47%
- Gen X - 50%
- Boomers - 53%
- Entertainment, memes, or parody accounts:
- Gen Z - 37%
- Millennials - 30%
- Gen X - 20%
- Boomers - 13%
- Actors, comedians, or other performers:
- Gen Z - 36%
- Millennials - 31%
- Gen X - 23%
- Boomers - 16%
- Bands, singers, or other musicians:
- Gen Z - 32%
- Millennials - 28%
- Gen X - 22%
- Boomers - 17%
- Influencers or other experts:
- Gen Z - 28%
- Millennials - 24%
- Gen X - 18%
- Boomers - 11%
- TV Shows or channels:
- Gen Z - 26%
- Millennials - 30%
- Gen X - 27%
- Boomers - 24%
(Source: GWI, Social Media by generation, September 2023)
Adult ownership of cell phones has also soared:
- As of 2024, 94% of U.S. adults have a smartphone.
- 76% of households only have a cell phone and no landline.
(Source: 2024 MRI-Simmons Fall Doublebase)
- In 2024, there were about 331 million mobile internet users in the U.S.
(Source: Statista, February 2024 )
- 64% of U.S. adults have used their smartphone for online shopping in the past year
(Source: Statista Global Consumer Survey, April 2022)
- In March 2024, Google accounted for over 95% of the mobile search market in the United States.
(Source: Statista, April 2024)
Social media use plays a big part in American lives today
- An estimated 248MM people 12+ are using social media in 2025
(Source: The Infinite Dial 2025 - Edison Research/Audacy/Cumulus Media/SiriusXM Media)
Social Media Usage by demographic:
- Total
- Facebook - 66%
- Instagram - 48%
- TikTok - 34%
- Pinterest - 31%
- LinkedIn - 29%
- Snapchat - 27%
- Reddit - 26%
- X/Twitter - 22%
- Hispanics
- Facebook - 64%
- Instagram - 60%
- TikTok - 46%
- Pinterest - 31%
- LinkedIn - 26%
- Snapchat - 28%
- Reddit - 25%
- X/Twitter - 24%
- African-Americans
- Facebook - 64%
- Instagram - 57%
- TikTok - 45%
- Pinterest - 35%
- LinkedIn - 28%
- Snapchat - 31%
- Reddit - 25%
- X/Twitter - 25%
Social media brand awareness by demographic:
- Total
- Facebook - 94%
- Instagram - 91%
- TikTok - 90%
- Snapchat - 87%
- X/Twitter - 85%
- Hispanics
- Facebook - 93%
- Instagram - 88%
- TikTok - 89%
- Snapchat - 78%
- X/Twitter - 77%
- African-Americans
- Facebook - 92%
- Instagram - 90%
- TikTok - 87%
- Snapchat - 85%
- X/Twitter - 80%
(Source: The Infinite Dial 2025, A Look at Hispanics & African-Americans)
- Social media platforms that brands believe can deliver a positive ROI:
- LinkedIn - 70%
- Instagram - 68%
- WhatsApp - 66%
- Facebook - 62%
- BeReal - 60%
- YouTube - 52%
- TikTok - 50%
- Snapchat - 45%
- Reddit - 43%
- Pinterest - 36%
- Twitter/X - 30%
- Threads - 16%
(Source: Hootsuite Social Trends 2024 Survey)
- Social media platforms that organizations have a strong presence on:
- Facebook - 91%
- Instagram - 86%
- LinkedIn - 80%
- Twitter/X - 66%
- YouTube - 62%
- TikTok - 29%
- Pinterest - 19%
- Threads - 16%
- Reddit - 14%
- WhatsApp - 5%
- Snapchat - 4%
- BeReal - 1%
(Source: Hootsuite Social Trends 2024 Survey)
- Top social media platforms that have the most engagement for brands:
- YouTube - 23%
- Instagram - 23%
- Facebook - 22%
- TikTok - 13%
- X/Twitter - 7%
(Source: Hubspot Blog Research, Social Media Trends 2024 Report)
- U.S. social media users agree:
- That social media companies should do more to protect data - 34%
- That they try to limit their time on social media - 34%
- They prefer sharing content with friends/relatives privately - 32%
- That social media helps them feel more connected to other people - 32%
- That they are using social media less than they are used to - 26%
- That they think social media is good for society - 18%
- That they feel left out if they don't check social media often - 14%
- They've posted comments that they would never say in real life - 9%
- That they are more vocal about brands because of social media - 9%
(Source: GWI USA Q1 2023)
Top 3 social media platforms (by generation):
- Gen Z:
- Instagram - 30%
- TikTok - 21%
- WhatsApp - 13%
- Millennials:
- Instagram - 25%
- WhatsApp - 18%
- Facebook - 17%
- Gen X:
- WhatsApp - 23%
- Facebook - 22%
- Instagram - 15%
- Baby boomers:
- Facebook - 26%
- WhatsApp - 24%
- Instagram - 4%
(Source: GWI Core Q4 2023)
- How U.S. users support content creators:
- By consuming their content - 44%
- By sharing their channel - 34%
- By giving feedback - 24%
- By buying their products/services - 14%
- By paying for a regular subscription - 13%
- By sending a virtual tip - 8%
(Source: GWI Core Q1 2023 and GWI Zeitgeist January 2023)
Top ways that new brands/products were discovered (by generation):
- Gen Z:
- Social media ads - 31%
- Search engines - 28%
- TV ads - 27%
- Millennials:
- Search engines- 32%
- TV ads - 29%
- Social media ads - 29%
- Gen X:
- Search engines - 36%
- TV ads - 35%
- Word-of-mouth recommendations - 32%
- Baby boomers:
- TV ads - 39%
- Search engines - 36%
- Word-of-mouth recommendations - 35%
(Source: GWI Core Q4 2023)
- Percentage of people who post comments/any kind of content on social media at least weekly, by generation:
- Gen Z - 51%
- Millennials - 49%
- Gen X - 50%
- Boomers - 51%
- Greatest - 49%
(Source: JacobsMedia Techsurvey 2025)
- Percentage of those who made a purchase from an influencer recommendation, by generation:
- Gen Z - 33%
- Millennials - 34%
- Gen X - 25%
- Boomers - 16%
- Greatest - 12%
(Source: JacobsMedia Techsurvey 2025)
- Main reasons for internet users to use social media as of 2024:
- Keeping in touch with friends and family - 52%
- Filling spare time - 39%
- Reading news stories - 34%
- Finding content - 30%
- Seeing what's being talked about - 29%
- Finding products to purchase - 27%
- Finding inspiration for things to do and buy - 27%
- Watching livestreams - 24%
- Watching or following sports - 24%
- Seeing content from your favorite brands - 22%
(Source: dataportal.com, 2024)
- Percentage on different generations consuming news on Social Media:
- Generation Z – 35%
- Millennials – 32%
- Boomers – 21%
- Generation X – 8%
(Source: Digital media trends, 15th edition, April 2021)
- Percentage of U.S. adults who say they get news from social media in 2024:
- Never – 28%
- Rarely – 18%
- Sometimes – 29%
- Often – 25%
(Source: Pew Research, Survey of U.S. adults conducted July 15 - Aug. 4, 2024)
- On social media platforms, these generations would rather see ads personalized to their likes and activity than generic ones:
- Generation Z – 62%
- Millennials – 72%
(Source: Deloitte, Digital media trends, 15th edition, April 2021)
- Leading social media platforms used by small businesses to advertise:
- Facebook - 66%
- YouTube - 42%
- Instagram - 41%
- Snapchat - 15%
- TikTok - 12%
(Source: The Manifest 2021 Small Business Survey)
Different activities that people engage in with social media (%):
- Read or watch news – 27%
- Listen to music – 28%
- Watch TV shows and movies – 23%
- Shop – 17%
- Play video games – 22%
- Watch sports – 13%
(Source: Digital media trends, 16th edition, March 2022)
Percentage of consumers, by generation, who search for brands on social media more often than search engines:
- Gen Z (18-24) – 36%
- Millennials (25-34) – 22%
- Gen X (35-54) – 21%
- Boomers (55+) – 6%
(Source: Hubspot Blog Research, Social Media Trends 2023 Report)
Clubhouse made it's debute in April 2020 and is an invite-only, audio-based social media platform.
- There are 10MM weekly active global users
(Source: Influencer Marketing Hub; CNBC; Statista, April 2021)
- In June 2021, Clubhouse was downloaded about 8MM times
(Source: AppMagic, July 2021)
Top 5 trending topics on Clubhouse worldwide (in millions)
- Sales - 564
- Social media - 532
- Deep Tech - 528
- Startups - 464
- Business - 194
(Source: britopian.com & Brandwatch, June 2021)
How long Americans spend on social media daily
- None - 7%
- < 30 mins - 15%
- 30 mins - 1 hour - 22%
- 3 - 4 hours - 15%
- 5 - 6 hour - 9%
- > 6 hours - 6%
(Source: Attest, 2025 U.S. Media Consumption Repor)
- In Q4 2023, TikTok had 232MM downloads
- Q4 2022, TikTok had 198MM downloads
(Source: Statista, January 2024)
- As of January 2024, the U.S. had 148 million users engaging with the platform.
(Source: Statista, January 2024)
- In August 2022, the daily minutes each visitor spent on TikTok was 95 minutes
(Source: Sensor Tower, August 2022)
Distribution of TikTok users in the U.S. in 2024, by age group:
- 18-24 - 33%
- 25-34 - 36%
- 35-44 - 15%
- 45-54 - 8%
- 55+ - 7%
(Source: dataportal.com, 2024)
Sports fans top social media platforms for sports
- YouTube - 90%
- Facebook - 71%
- Instagram - 60%
- TikTok - 49%
- X - 37%
- Snapchat - 27%
- Reddit - 22%
(Source: Crowd React Media, The State of Sports Media, 2024)
As online populations continue to grow, and time spent with digital media, marketers are diverting more of their ad budgets to online, with digital advertising becoming the #1 media category.
- As of Q3 2024, retail e-commerce sales in the U.S. has accounted for over $300.1 billion
(Source: US Census Bureau, Quarterly Retail E-commerce Sales in the United States, November 2024)
- YouTube Shorts are averaging a total of 50-billion views per day, significantly behind Instagram Reels with 140-billion views per day.
(Source: WRAC Media, May 2023)
- 68% of consumers purchased directly from a social media platform in 2022.
- 98% consumers plan to make at least one purchase through social shopping or influencer commerce this year.
(Source: Sprout Social Inc., February 2022)
Consumer formats consumers want brands to focus on in 2024:
- Short-form videos (< 15 seconds) - 42%
- Short-form videos (15 - 30 seconds) - 39%
- Static images - 30%
- Influencer content - 26%
- Short-form videos (31 - 60 seconds) - 24%
- Live video - 24%
- GIFS/Memes - 20%
- User-generated content - 15%
- Long-term video (> 60 seconds) - 14%
- Text-only content - 10%
(Source: SproutSocial Inc., 2024 Content Benchmark Report)
