Usage of X, formerly Twitter, has fallen dramatically while Facebook remains the overwhelming social media leader. But among younger Americans it’s all about Instagram and TikTok. Those are the top takeaways from Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2024 about how the social media landscape has changed during the past 12 months.
Presenting the results during a webinar last week, Edison VP Megan Lazovick walked attendees through a brief history of social media, based on Infinite Dial surveys during the past 16 years. In 2008, only 10% of the 12+ U.S. population engaged with social media. By 2021, a majority of the population was using social media. That surpassed three-quarters in 2015, levelled out in the low 80s during the past four years and currently stands at 82%.
Facebook, not surprisingly, has the highest awareness among social media brands at 94%, followed by Instagram at 92% and then TikTok, a newcomer just a few years ago, now at 91%.
Facebook also leads in usage – nearly two thirds of Americans 12+ currently use it, followed by Instagram (44%), and TikTok (35%).
At the bottom of the list are Mastodon (1%), Donald Trump’s Truth Social (2%), and Threads (3%). Usage of X, formerly Twitter, plummeted to just 19% in 2024.
The survey data documents the precipitous decline in usage since Elon Musk purchased Twitter in early 2023. That year, Infinite Dial estimated Twitter had 77 million users. As of January 2024, the platform’s estimated user base has tumbled to 55 million, or from 27% of the U.S. 12+ population to 19%. Put another way, in one year X/Twitter lost 30% of its users or about 22 million people.
Another notable change in usage during the past few years has been with the career-focused LinkedIn, which has grown from 21% of the 12+ U.S. population in 2022 to 26% last year and to 27% in 2024. Apart from the growth of LinkedIn, and the shrinking of Twitter, usage of individual social media brands was fairly consistent in 2024.
Facebook continues to dominate as the brand used most often by social media users, although it declined significantly last year to 46% of the 12+ population from 54% in 2022. This year it remained at 46%. The gains have mostly gone to Instagram (19% use it the most) and TikTok (13%).
But social preference varies widely by demographics. Among 12-34 year-olds, Instagram is the most preferred at 31%, TikTok is second in preference at 23%, beating out Facebook by a few points. “And while Snapchat is not too competitive among the other age groups, it does well among the younger generation at 12%,” says Lazovick.
Among 35-54 year-olds, Facebook still rules, used most often by over half of this group (55%), with Instagram at a distant second place at 17%. TikTok is third at 9%. And among the 55 and older crowd, almost three quarters say they use Facebook most, which leaves a very small number split among the other services.
The Infinite Dial is based on a national survey of 1,086 individuals aged 12 and older. The survey was conducted during January in both English and Spanish. The data was weighted to national 12+ U.S. population figures. This year’s report was produced with financial support of Audacy, Cumulus Media, and SiriusXM.
Download the 2024 Infinite Dial HERE.