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Statistics About Social Media and Kids 2025

In today’s world, social media wields enormous influence over how children and teens communicate, learn, and form their identities. I’ve pulled together the latest statistics about social media to show how kids and teens use digital platforms these days. You’ll see how much time they spend online, which apps they prefer, and how their habits change by age and gender. These insights should help you understand your kid’s digital habits.

Key stats

• 93% of US teens are on at least one social media app.
• TikTok stable (about 63%), Snapchat dropped (60% 👉55%), YouTube slightly declined (95% 👉90%).
• 96% of kids get online every day.
• Brighterly helps kids turn tech into skill-building instead of endless scrolling.
• 46% of teens are online pretty much all the time.
• Girls spend about 5.3 hours/day; boys – 4.4 hours daily; kids under 8 devote around 14 minutes a day on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube.

Is social media safe for teens? What parents should know

Social media interesting facts show that nearly 96% of US kids go online daily, and almost half of them are always connected. Girls spend around 5.3 hours a day scrolling, while boys rack up 4.4 hours daily. 

No wonder many teens feel they spend too much time online. 45% even admit it themselves! About 44% of teens say they’ve already tried to cut down on social media. The latter might seem like a fun fact about social media. However, it actually shows teens grasp the need for balance. 

Can you help as parents? Sure. You can set balanced routines and encourage screen time that does help. Plus, platforms like Brighterly, with its reading tutors, make that balance much easier! In particular, kids can improve reading skills through playful, personalized lessons. And keeping their minds active without endless scrolling makes things much healthier. 

How Brighterly helps kids balance online learning and screen time

Kids spend hours online. Yet Brighterly ensures that time helps them build skills instead of just going to waste. Due to 1:1 personalized lessons (aligned with US state standards, children master math and reading at their own pace.

These live lessons help kids catch up, stay on track, or get ahead. Patient tutors and smart technology enable them to build confidence and make schoolwork easier. 

 

Statistics & facts about social media use among kids and teens

• The percentage of kids & teens on social media
• Kids and social media account ownership
• Daily social media habits of teens
• Teen social media usage by demographics

What percentage of kids and teens use social media?

According to the latest Pew Research Center’s (PRC) survey, about 93% of American teens (ages 13-17) use at least one social media app. These numbers reflect a global trend – similar statistics appear in Europe, Canada, and Asia – showing that social media use among teens is a worldwide phenomenon. 

Of the most popular apps, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are the biggest hits with teens. YouTube remains dominant, with 90% of teens using it. Then come TikTok (63%), Instagram (61%), and Snapchat (55%). These social networks often use a marketing strategy aimed at teens, showing targeted content to keep them engaged.

Perhaps that’s the reason why around 96% of teens go online every day, and 46% say they’re online almost all the time.

For younger children, shocking statistics about social media have also grown despite age limits. A recent survey by the eSafety Commissioner (Australia) found that 84% of kids ages 8 to 12 had used at least one social or messaging app, and 80% of those whose access wasn’t restricted used them to the full.

How many kids have social media accounts?

95% of teens in the United States are on at least one social media app. About three-quarters of them have at least one active account.

As for younger kids under 13, the Common Sense Media report states that approximately 38% of teens have tried at least one social media or messaging app.

Teens and social media use daily patterns 

Speaking of the daily percentage of teens on social media, YouTube is on top! 73% of teens visit it every day. 15% say they’re online almost all the time. 

About 58% are on TikTok daily, and 17% report almost constant use. About half log in to Instagram or Snapchat every day, too.

Another interesting fact about social media, according to the Pew Research Center, is that one-third of teens use at least one of the five big apps almost all the time.

Also, boys and girls use SM internet sites differently. Fewer boys and 19% of teen girls are on TikTok all the time. Boys, on the other hand, are more constant YouTube users (19%).

In contrast, fewer teens are using Facebook every day. Actually, only 20% report daily use – down from higher figures in previous years.

Altogether, about half of teens aged 12-17 spend at least four hours a day on screens. This fact aligns with national ADHD statistics on attention and hyperactivity. And the average kid under 8 spends about 14 minutes a day watching videos on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube.

What percentage of teens use social media by demographics?

Source: Pew Research Center

Besides, the percentage of teens who use social media – especially YouTube – dropped from 95% in 2022 to 90% in 2024. However, TikTok stayed around 63%. Instagram went up a bit – from 59% (2023) to 61% (2024). And Snapchat dropped from 60% to 55%.

How long do teens spend on social media?

Teens and social media: How much time is spent online

Several interesting statistics about social media reveal that teens are spending a big part of their day on digital platforms:

• A Gallup survey indicates that 51% of US teens reported spending at least four hours a day on social media apps. The average across 13-19-year-olds is 4.8 hours per day. The range was about 4 hours for 13-year-olds and nearly 6 hours for 17-year-olds. Girls averaged 5.3 hours versus about 4.4 hours for boys. 
• A broader screen-time review reported that children aged 8-12 had spent 4-6 hours a day on devices. Teens – up to 9 hours per day. 
• Meanwhile, the Pew Research Center found that 45% of teens say they spend too much time on social media. And that’s up from 36% in 2022.

So, while the numbers vary depending on the study, the trend’s pretty clear: many teens are spending several hours a day on social media, and a good number of them feel they spend too much time online. What could happen as a result? It’s already happened! 👇

Social media dangers statistics

Mental health risk	Statistics
Double depression/anxiety risk	Teens using social media  for  3+  hours daily  face double the risk of depression and anxiety symptoms
Problematic social media use	11% recently showed signs of problematic social media behavior, up from 7% in 2018
Negative body image impact	According to a Surgeon General’s Advisory, 46% of those aged 13-17 say social media makes them feel worse about their body image
Sleep disruption	45% of teens say social media hurts their amount of sleep (PRC report)
Productivity loss	40% reported that using social media hurts their productivity (PRC report)
Mental health concerns	19% of teens say it has a bad effect on their mental health (PRC report)

Gender differences: According to the Pew Research Center, 34% of teen girls say social media makes them feel worse about their own lives, in contrast to 20% of boys. 

Dangers of social media for kids: Why teens are trying to cut back

44% of teens say they have cut back on social media in 2024. It entails an increase from 39% in 2023 (PRC). The same 44%, BTW, are cutting back on their smartphone use as well. However, 55% of teens haven’t cut back on either smartphones or social media.

Why teens are taking a break:

1. 45% say they’re on social media too much. In 2022, though, only 36% said the same. This reflects teens’ own opinion about their screen time.  
2. Only 49% now think they spend the right amount of time on social media. Unfortunately, this stat went down from 64% in 2023 and 55% in 2022. 
3. PRC reports that the number of teens who say social media makes them feel supported has declined to 52% in 2024 from 67% in 2022. 

Shocking statistics about social media

• Cyberbullying stats & trends
• Gender & demographics
• Facts and statistics about social media effects on kids

Kids and social media: Cyberbullying statistics & trends 

In 2023, 26.5% of US teens aged 13-17 experienced cyberbullying in the past month. To put it in perspective:

• In 2021, it was 23.2% 
• 2019 featured 17.2%
• And in 2016, that share was only 16.7%

Monthly reports and surveys, too, keep showing how much public online harassment impacts teens’ well-being and schoolwork.

Most common forms:

• mean or hurtful comments online (30.4%)
• being left out of group chats (28.9%)
• rumors going around online (28.4%)
• someone embarrassing or humiliating them (26.9%)

As for the impact of social media on teenagers, the share of those who said cyberbullying was a big deal at their school rose from 43% in 2016 to 54% in 2023.

Children using social media: Gender and demographic differences

Well, gender disparities are significant indeed. Adolescent girls are more likely to have experienced cyberbullying in their lifetimes (59.2% female vs 49.5% male) and over the previous 30 days (28.6% female vs 24.2% male). 

The type of cyberbullying tends to differ by gender, too: girls were more likely to say someone spread rumors about them online, while boys were more likely to say that someone threatened to hurt them online. 

Social media impact on kids and its consequences

	Interesting statistics about social media	More details
Mental health impacts	Two-thirds of cyberbullying victims said that getting bullied online made them feel bad about themselves	It can make them feel insecure or worthless
	33% of females and 16.6% of males felt depressed after being harassed online	Cyberbullied teens are more than twice as likely to feel depressed than teens who weren’t bullied
Academic & behavioral consequences	19.2% of American teenagers reported missing days from school because of cyberbullying in 2023	Nearly doubled from 10.3% in 2016
	85% of participants in a Malaysian university study said cyberbullying hurt their schoolwork or grades	Most of them said it affected their schoolwork
	Young adults who were bullied online were more likely to use drugs or alcohol	Adjusted odds ratio of 2.37

Social media safety statistics: Parents’ perspectives & concerns

Shocking social media statistics: What parents think and do

The PRC claims that 55% of parents say they’re really worried about the mental health of teens today, and that’s a lot more than teens themselves (35%). Interestingly, mothers are more likely than fathers to say they’re super concerned about teen mental health. Besides, parents of teen girls are more likely than those with teen boys to express high levels of concern.

Only 46% of parents feel sure about which apps their kids use.  However,  confidence drops as kids get older: 60% of elementary school parents feel more confident than just 24% of high school parents. 

Overall, 24% of parents are extremely concerned, and 26% are pretty worried about their kids’ online safety. 

Children and social media: Parents’ control and concerns

Interesting statistics about social media reveal that 84% of US parents keep an eye on what their kids do online on websites and mobile apps (up from 78% in 2020). As of July 2024, over half of parents monitor their children’s chat apps frequently, and 51% monitor social media accounts and posts frequently.

However, parents hardly use the built-in tools on specific apps! Say, on sites like Discord and Snapchat, fewer than 1% of minors have parents using built-in parental monitoring tools. And by the end of 2022, fewer than 10% of teens on Instagram had turned on parental controls. 

Yet still, 62.9% of parents agree that parents should regularly check their kids’ social media.

Statistics and fun facts about social media

Internet safety facts and statistics: Social support & community 

The Pew Research Center reports that about three-quarters of teens (74%) say what they see on social media helps them feel more in touch with their friends. However, this connection is declining: the share who say social media platforms make them feel like they have someone to lean on when things get hard has declined to 52% in 2024 from 67% in 2022.

PRC also shares some facts about social media that highlight its positive effects on teens’ social connections:

• 74% feel more included in what’s going on in their friends’ lives;
• 52% feel like they have people who can support them through tough times;
• 52% feel more accepted.

Teens’ positive social experiences, along with reading statistics and facts, also show that mixing learning with social media really works.

Social media is good for kids: Discovering the pros

Stats on creativity are pretty striking! 63% of teens say social media platforms are a place to show off their creative side. Another survey found that seven out of ten teenagers (70%) see social media as a place where they can express their creative side. 

PRC found that this is especially valued among minority teens: 75% of Black teens and 73% of Hispanic teens say they see social media as a great outlet for creativity, compared to lower percentages of White teens.

Additionally, 31% of Black teens say that what they see on social media makes them feel strongly that they have a space to be creative, as opposed to 18% of White teens.

Learning benefits: A 15-country cross-sectional survey of more than 100,000 15-year-olds found that, in Western countries, social media use predicts a greater ability for reading and navigating information online. 

Teens and social media statistics: Conclusion

Interesting facts about social media show that although it connects teens, it also may expose them to bullying, depression, and messed-up routines. 

If you notice your kid losing focus or falling behind in school, devoted professionals at Brighterly math and reading platform provide structured, personalized lessons to help your child do better in school. Or, if your teen would like to boost skills while still enjoying digital time, book free reading lesson! Fun, interactive tutoring keeps them engaged without adding screen stress.