YouTube And Facebook Extremely Popular Among U.S Adults, New Study Finds

As of recent, new data on adult social media usage was reported by Pew Research. The study, conducted by Brooke Auxier and Monica Anderson, provides various informative summaries on social media, such as YouTube and Facebook, prominence in early 2021.  

With a sample size of 1502 U.S adults (picked to be national representative for the adult population), the study was conducted via telephone surveys with interviewers under Abt Associates. This reputable data collection agency specializes in gathering the information required to build sampled studies. 

Alongside a variety of conclusions, the survey finds that YouTube and Facebook remain the most prominent platforms used among adults, with the results indicating 81% of the participants have used YouTube, and 69% have used Facebook. 

This should come as no surprise, as YouTube’s model is efficient. As such, it’s become a more kinetic/visual alternative to Google, with DIY and tutorial videos likely becoming increasingly popular. 

TikTok garnered only a 21% prior usage rate among the sampled adult population, further indicating that its demographic is increasingly shifting towards younger users. 

The platform’s usage varies significantly depending on the age group in question. Younger adult populations (aged 18-29) reported higher uses of Instagram and TikTok (71% and 48%, respectively). 

In stark contrast to those platforms whose engagement was entirely dependent on their demographic, both YouTube and Facebook seemed to be universally popular across all age groups, coming in as two of the most used platforms in general. 

Facebook’s popularity may soon begin to fade, namely because Instagram has overtaken it as youth culture’s primary platform. As that generation ages into adulthood, the adult usage numbers will start to shift away from Facebook. 

Also interesting is the repeated usage, with 70% of Facebook users reporting daily visits to the platform. The same applied to Instagram, which totaled 59% in that category. 

Further information on the study’s methodology and conditions can be found on the official report’s pdf.