2023 study reveals demographic shifts in social media use

Each year, The Infinite Dial study analyzes how Americans are using digital media, including social media. As the longest-running survey of its kind, it’s worth paying attention to, given the subtle shifts it often reveals.?

Some of the findings in this year’s study are unsurprising. Facebook, for example, remains the most popular social media site by far, followed by Instagram, another platform owned by Meta. The study also documents TikTok’s meteoric rise, which is common knowledge–especially among those who live with teenagers and young adults.

However, the study also points to some trends just under the surface that may impact businesses in every industry, given how much we rely on social media as a vehicle for reaching customers and prospects. Here are a few of the takeaways about each platform:

• While Facebook is the clear leader in terms of social media adoption, it is losing a bit of ground to other platforms. Facebook is used by 61 percent of Americans 12 years of age and older, which is down from 2022 (63 percent) and a notable drop off from its high of 67 percent in 2017. Facebook also continues to struggle with attracting and retaining young users. Usage of Facebook among those 12 - 34 drops to 55 percent, and only 20 percent of that age group say it’s the platform they “use most often,” placing Facebook thirdin that category behind Instagram and TikTok. Facebook is considerably more dominant among older demographics, being used by 73 percent and used most often by 55 percent of those in the 35-54 age group. Among those 55+, Facebook is used by 56 percent and used most often by 74 percent. No other platform comes close in either case. This helps make Facebook the only platform to be used by a majority of Americans 12 years of age and older.
• Facebook’s sister platform Instagram helps give it a toe hold with younger Americans. While it is number two in terms of overall usage, Instagram is number one with younger users by a considerable margin. The platform is used by 72 percent of those 12-34 and 31 percent of this same group say it's the platform they use most often. As a point of comparison, only 16 percent of those 55+ use Instagram, and only six percent say it’s the platform they use most often.?
• In 2020, only 64 percent of Americans were even aware of TikTok. Today, that number is 94 percent, and adoption of the platform has followed–but mainly among younger users, although it is gaining a bit of ground with older users. TikTok is used by 33 percent of Americans 12+ and 55 percent of those 12-34, tying Facebook for second in this category. It is also second to Instagram in terms of what they use most often, placing TikTok ahead of Facebook. And while it was only used by 16 percent of 35-54 year olds in 2021, the number has more than doubled to 33 percent. TikTok use among those 55+, however, remains pretty rare, with just 9 percent of those in the study’s oldest demographic saying they are on TikTok.
• Pinterest has an interesting position with those 55+, being second in terms of use by this demographic at 21 percent. It also does surprisingly well with younger demographics, being used by 37 percent of those 12-34 and 34 percent of 35-54 year olds–the latter being slightly higher than the percentage who use TikTok.
• LinkedIn use appears to be most prevalent among those 35-54, which reflects the platform’s relevance to mid-career professionals. However, the platform made significant gains in terms of its use by 12-34 year olds in 2023: LinkedIn is used by 29 percent of this group, up from just 19 percent a year ago.?
• Usage of Twitter has remained relatively stable, a rare instance of “Twitter” and “stable” being used in the same sentence. Twitter is used by 27 percent of Americans 12+, the same percentage as 2022. Twitter saw a slight increase in use by those 55+, offsetting a slight downturn in use by 12-34 year olds.?
• And then there’s Snapchat, which has experienced a small-but-steady decline in relevance among young users, dropping from 55 percent in 2021 to 53 percent in 2022 and 51 in 2023, likely as a result of TikTok’s gains among this same demographic. Still, Snapchat is number four in this demographic and is used by 27 percent of Americans 12+ overall. However, Snapchat is much less relevant among older users, which is most apparent when you look at what platforms they use most often. Snapchat is only used most often by two percent of those 35-54 and 55+, respectively.

So, what does all this mean for your business? These numbers are a lens to look through, but don’t overindex on them. They can serve as a guide to what might work in reaching your audience, but–as always–pay close attention to any misalignment with your analytics. What matters most is what works for your unique audience, regardless of what even the most well-respected national study says.