Teens find Facebook a bit meh

Three years ago Facebook dominated the social media landscape among teenagers; now just 51% of 13-17 year olds in one of its largest markets are using the platform.

According to the Pew Research Center – which conducted a survey of 13-17 year olds in the US over the last year – Facebook is now the fourth most popular platform among the age group. YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat have stormed ahead, now used by 85%, 72% and 69% of teenagers, respectively.

The news comes as smartphone use amongst teenagers becomes virtually ubiquitous, with the survey reporting that 95% of US teens are able to access a smartphone and 45% claim to be online ‘almost constantly’.

It’s a big drop for Facebook, which was used by 71% of teenagers in 2014-2015 according to Pew Research Center’s last survey. At the time it was the only platform to be used by a clear majority of teens – Instagram sat at just 52% and Snapchat 41%.

The survey further reports the most often used platform by teens is Snapchat, with 35% of teens claiming that Snap is the social media they use more than any other. Facebook was used most often by just 10% of its 13-17 year old users.