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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteSocial media is a broad category of interactive online services that let people create or share content and communicate through communities and networks. People use it to connect, exchange information and ideas, and find entertainment; social networking sites are only one part of the category. In Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey of U.S. adults, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram led the measured platforms in reported ever-use.
What is social media?
The National Academies, drawing on a definition adapted from the American Psychological Association, describes social media as interactive technologies that facilitate creating and sharing information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. The OECD identifies common features such as user-generated content, networked communication, and interaction with posts or other users.
The category is broader than sites built around profiles and friend or follower lists. It can include video-sharing services, blogs, gaming communities, virtual worlds, messaging, and services that combine several of these features. There is no single universally agreed list of platforms, so it is more useful to describe what a service lets people do.
Why is social media important?
People use social media to maintain relationships, find people and communities with shared interests, communicate, share information, and entertain themselves. These services can make connection and communication easier, but their effects depend on the platform, content, audience, and context; they are not automatically positive or negative for every person.
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There are also documented concerns. The American Psychological Association identifies potential issues including misinformation, hate speech, and cyberbullying, as well as possible interference with sleep, physical activity, or in-person social interaction. These are risks to consider, not inevitable outcomes for every user.
Top social media websites and apps
“Top” depends on the measure and the population. The table uses Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey of 5,022 U.S. adults, which asked whether respondents had ever used each service. These figures are survey-reported U.S. adult use, not global user counts or a live ranking.
| Platform | U.S. adults who said they had ever used it |
|---|---|
| YouTube | 84% |
| 71% | |
| 50% | |
| TikTok | 37% |
| 32% | |
| 26% | |
| Snapchat | 25% |
| X | 21% |
| Threads | 8% |
| Bluesky | 4% |
| Truth Social | 3% |
Source: Pew Research Center, 2025 survey of 5,022 U.S. adults; principal fieldwork ran February 5–June 18, 2025. The percentages show respondents who said they had ever used each platform. They should not be read as worldwide monthly active users or a global ranking.
How platform use differs
Popularity varies by age as well as by overall use. In Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey, 80% of U.S. adults ages 18–29 said they used Instagram, compared with 19% of adults 65 and older. YouTube and Facebook were the only platforms in Pew’s list used by a majority in every age band. These differences are one reason to choose a service based on audience and purpose, not just an overall ranking.
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Pew also reported that about half of U.S. adults visited Facebook and YouTube at least daily. In a separate 2025 frequency survey, 24% said they used TikTok daily and 10% said they used X daily. That frequency survey covered 5,123 U.S. adults and was fielded February 24–March 2, 2025; its results use a different survey and measure from the ever-use figures above.
How to choose a social media platform
- Decide what you want to do. Consider whether you want to watch video, share short updates, message people, join communities, or build professional connections.
- Consider who you want to reach or interact with. Platform audiences differ, including by age and interests.
- Check the format and interaction style. Services may emphasize public posts, video feeds, private messages, groups, or professional profiles.
- Account for geography and context. The survey figures here describe U.S. adults, and availability or popularity may differ elsewhere.
FAQ
What is the difference between social media and social networking?
Social networking sites are one type of social media, commonly built around profiles and visible connections. Social media is broader and can also include video-sharing, gaming, blogs, virtual worlds, and services with other interactive features.
What are the most-used social media platforms in the United States?
In Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey of U.S. adults, YouTube had the highest reported ever-use at 84%, followed by Facebook at 71% and Instagram at 50%. This is a dated U.S. survey comparison, not a global ranking or current live count.
Are social media’s effects always good or bad?
No. Social media can support connection, communication, information sharing, and entertainment, while also presenting risks such as misinformation, hate speech, and cyberbullying. Effects vary with the person, platform, content, and circumstances.
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How should I interpret social media popularity percentages?
Check the source, year, population, and metric. The percentages in this article are from Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey of U.S. adults and measure whether people had ever used a platform; they are not global user totals or daily-use rates.
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