This is why the music industry is paying such close attention to social media

There’s a new survey by the Pew Research Centre into how American teens use social media. The music industry would be advised to look at these trends, too.

The survey (n=1,316 teenagers) confirmed what everyone suspected about their social media habits.

  • 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, which is up from 73% in 2014-15.
  • 92% say they use the internet “almost constantly.”
  • 95% of Americans 13-17 use YouTube. Three-quarters of them use the site daily. One in five say they use it “constantly.”
  • 67% use TikTok with 58% signing on daily.
  • 62% use Instagram (That’s up, but it used to be ahead of TikTok)
  • 59% use Snapchat
  • 32% are on Facebook (That’s down from 71% of teens in 2014-15. Whoa, huh, Mark Zuckerberg?)
  • 23% use Twitter.
  • 20% are on Twitch
  • Tumblr? It still exists, but only 5% of teens use it.

Could any teen give up social media? A full 54% say “it would be hard.”

The full report can be found here.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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