Social Media Addiction Statistics
Social media occupies hours of many teens’ days. Difficulty controlling use and harm to sleep, school or relationships are signs that support may be needed.
Did social media harm your child?
Understanding Social Media Addiction Statistics
Social media fills a large part of many teenagers’ days. U.S. surveys show frequent use, hours spent across platforms and concerns about lost sleep and productivity. They also show that many teens value the friendships and creative opportunities they find online.[1][2][3]
The concern behind social media addiction is losing control of use and continuing despite harm to everyday life. Researchers often call this problematic social media use. It is different from simply having an account or checking an app frequently.[4]
- In 2023, 77% of U.S. high school students used social media at least several times a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).[1]
- U.S. teens ages 13–19 reported an average of 4.8 hours a day across seven social media platforms in a 2023 Gallup survey.[2]
- In a 2024 Pew Research Center survey, 45% of U.S. teens ages 13–17 felt they spent too much time on social media.[3]
- The World Health Organization (WHO) reported signs of problematic social media use in 11% of adolescents surveyed across Europe, central Asia and Canada in 2022.[4]
How Common Is Social Media Addiction?
WHO’s international adolescent survey provides a large-scale measure of difficulty controlling social media use. Its 2022 findings covered almost 280,000 young people ages 11, 13 and 15 across 44 countries and regions.[4] The 11% who showed signs of problematic use reported addiction-like experiences, such as being unable to control use, neglecting other activities, withdrawal, or a difficult reaction to going without social media, and negative consequences in daily life.[4]
A frequently cited U.S. estimate describes risk rather than diagnosed cases. Researcher Ofir Turel told California State University in 2018 that about 5%–10% of Americans could be at risk.[5] This historical estimate does not establish a current national count of people diagnosed with social media addiction.[5]
When comparing a statistic, ask who was surveyed and what the question measured. “Uses an app daily,” “feels they spend too much time” and “struggles to stop despite harm” answer different questions. These warning signs can help you describe concerning patterns to a health professional.
How Much Time Do Teens Spend on Social Media?
Gallup’s 2023 survey found that U.S. teens ages 13–19 reported an average of 4.8 hours per day across seven social media platforms.[2] Just over half, 51%, reported at least four hours.[2] Girls averaged 5.3 hours and boys 4.4 hours.[2] The survey included 1,591 teens and took place from June 26 to July 17, 2023.[2]
YouTube and TikTok accounted for the most reported time, averaging 1.9 and 1.5 hours a day, respectively.[2] Instagram averaged 0.9 hours.[2] These are self-reported averages across the surveyed teens, including those who did not use a particular platform.[2]
Social Media Time and Total Screen Time
Common Sense Media’s 2019 report found an average of 7 hours and 22 minutes of entertainment screen media per day among U.S. teens ages 13–18. Tweens ages 8–12 averaged 4 hours and 44 minutes. Those figures excluded school and homework, but included activities such as videos, gaming and social media.[6]
This broader screen-time measure helps explain how much media fits into young people’s lives. It cannot be substituted for time on social media alone. The report also notes that activities can overlap, such as watching television while browsing a phone, so added media time does not necessarily equal separate hours on a clock.[6]
Teen Social Media Use and Mental Health
After accounting for demographic differences, the CDC’s analysis of the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that students who used social media at least several times a day were more likely than less frequent users to report bullying, persistent sadness or hopelessness, seriously considering suicide and making a suicide plan. It did not find a significant difference in reported suicide attempts.[1]
Because the survey measured use and experiences at the same time, it could not establish which came first or whether social media caused those outcomes.[1]
For a different view of daily life, Pew asked U.S. teens how they felt social media affected them. In its survey conducted in September–October 2024 and published in April 2025, teens said social media hurt their:[3]
- Sleep: 45%.[3]
- Productivity: 40%.[3]
- Grades: 22%.[3]
- Mental health: 19%.[3]
The same survey of 1,391 teens and their parents found that 74% of teens felt more connected to friends through social media and 63% saw a place to express their creativity.[3] At the same time, 31% felt left out and 27% felt worse about their own lives.[3] A teen can value online friendships and still need help with distressing parts of the experience.[3]
What Longer-Term Research Adds
A study published in 2019 followed 6,595 U.S. adolescents between 2013 and 2016.[7] They were ages 12–15 at the start. Those reporting more than three hours of social media use a day were more likely to report high levels of inward distress, including anxiety and depressive symptoms, the following year than those reporting no use.[7]
The association remained after researchers accounted for earlier mental-health problems and other measured factors. Self-reported symptoms and unmeasured influences still limit what this study can establish about cause and effect.[7]
The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory urged action to protect young people while research continues. Its central point is practical: the content children encounter, their interactions online and what use displaces, including sleep, matter alongside time. It also places responsibility on technology companies and policymakers, rather than expecting families to manage every risk alone.[8]
For families, the advisory recommends a shared media plan, protecting bedtime and keeping some meals and in-person activities device-free. It encourages conversations about online experiences and support when a child encounters harassment.[8]
Consider how social media and mental health interact and which of social media’s effects are affecting daily life.
Screen Time and Suicide-Related Findings
In an earlier analysis of U.S. high school survey data from 2009–2015, 48% of teens reporting five or more hours of daily electronic-device use outside schoolwork reported at least one suicide-related outcome, compared with 29% of those reporting one hour.[9]
The combined measure included prolonged sadness or hopelessness that disrupted usual activities, serious suicidal thoughts, planning or an attempt. It was broader than suicide attempts and covered electronic-device use, not only social media.[9]
Psychologist Jean Twenge, a study author, told San Diego State University that the rise in teen distress was alarming and deserved serious attention. She identified the shift toward screens and away from other activities as a major change in teens’ lives, while acknowledging that the research could not prove smartphone use caused the increase in mental-health problems.[10]
Her concern supports paying attention to a teen’s distress and daily activities, rather than treating the study as a prediction for an individual child.[10]
If you or your child is thinking about suicide or needs immediate emotional support, call or text 988 in the United States. Call 911 in a life-threatening emergency.[11]
Social Media Use by Platform
YouTube and Facebook reach the largest shares of U.S. adults. Pew’s survey of 5,022 adults, conducted February–June 2025, asked whether they ever used each platform.[12]
| Platform | U.S. Adults Reporting Ever Use, 2025 |
|---|---|
| YouTube | 84%[12] |
| 71%[12] | |
| 50%[12] | |
| TikTok | 37%[12] |
| 32%[12] | |
| 26%[12] | |
| Snapchat | 25%[12] |
| X | 21%[12] |
| Threads | 8%[12] |
| Bluesky | 4%[12] |
| Truth Social | 3%[12] |
Teens have a different pattern. In Pew’s September–October 2025 survey of 1,458 U.S. teens ages 13–17, roughly three-quarters used YouTube daily.[13] Daily use was 61% for TikTok, 55% for Instagram, 46% for Snapchat and 20% for Facebook.[13] Across those five platforms, 36% used at least one almost constantly.[13]
Reach and frequency tell us where people spend time. Concerns about TikTok addiction, Instagram addiction or Snapchat addiction are better explored through specific habits and their consequences. These platform-use figures do not rank how addictive each app is.
How Social Media Use Has Changed
Two surveys show growing concern about use, although they measure different experiences. In Pew’s U.S. teen surveys, the share who felt they spent too much time on social media rose from 36% in 2022 to 45% in 2024.[3] In the WHO’s international adolescent data, signs of problematic use rose from 7% in 2018 to 11% in 2022.[3][4]
Platform habits also shift. Pew reported that U.S. teens’ use of Facebook fell from 71% in 2014–2015 to 31% in 2025, while TikTok, Instagram and YouTube use remained relatively stable in recent years.[13] A decline in one platform can therefore coexist with frequent social media use overall.[13]
Comparing Daily Use Figures
In a separate February–March 2025 Pew survey of 5,123 U.S. adults, 52% used Facebook daily, 48% used YouTube daily, 24% used TikTok daily and 10% used X daily.[12] These percentages describe all U.S. adults.[12]
Older Pew figures answered a narrower question: how often people who already used a platform returned to it. In 2021, daily use among each platform’s users was 70% for Facebook, 59% for Snapchat, 59% for Instagram, 54% for YouTube and 46% for Twitter.[14] A percentage of a platform’s users cannot be read as a percentage of all adults.[14]
Pew also changed its adult survey method in 2023, moving from telephone surveys to a combination of web, mail and phone. Both the group being counted and the survey method matter when comparing older and newer figures.[12]
Social Media Statistics by Age, Gender and Race
Use and experiences vary across groups. Age comparisons describe platform participation, while other surveys ask about difficulty controlling use or effects on well-being.[3][4][12]
Age
Younger adults are more likely than older adults to use many social platforms. Instagram illustrates the size of this age gap in Pew’s 2025 survey.[12]
| Age Group | Reporting Instagram Ever Use, 2025 |
|---|---|
| 18–29 | 80%[12] |
| 30–49 | 62%[12] |
| 50–64 | 40%[12] |
| 65 and Older | 19%[12] |
This helps explain why families of different generations may have different expectations about being available online. The table measures participation, so it does not identify which age group has the highest rate of addiction.
Gender
Girls reported more difficulty in several surveys. In the WHO’s 2022 adolescent sample, 13% of girls and 9% of boys showed signs of problematic social media use.[4] In Pew’s 2024 U.S. teen survey, 25% of girls and 14% of boys said social media hurt their mental health.[3] These are different populations and questions, but both findings support listening closely when a young person describes problems online.[3][4]
Race and Ethnicity
In Pew’s 2025 U.S. adult survey, reported Instagram use was 62% among Hispanic adults, 58% among Asian adults, 54% among Black adults and 45% among White adults.[12] The Asian adult estimate represented English-speaking respondents only.[12]
These figures describe the share within each group who used Instagram. They do not measure addiction or explain why use differs. A person’s own symptoms and circumstances remain more useful for deciding what help they need.
What Research Can Tell Us About Social Media Addiction Treatment and Recovery
Research offers encouraging signs that support can improve well-being. A 2023 review examined 23 experimental studies of interventions aimed at changing social media use in adults. Nine studies found improvements in mental well-being, seven found mixed results and seven found no effect.[15]
The most promising pattern was in therapy-based approaches, including techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps people examine and change unhelpful thought and behavior patterns. Five of six therapy-based studies, or 83%, found improved mental well-being.[15] That percentage counts studies showing an improvement. It does not mean the same share of patients recovered or were cured of social media addiction.[15]
The review’s authors, Ruth Plackett and colleagues, found less consistent results from simply limiting time or abstaining from social media. They also stressed the need for better research: 22 of the 23 studies received a weak overall quality rating, many recruited university students and most interventions lasted less than a month. The findings are a reason to explore useful support, with realistic expectations about what remains unknown.[15]
For someone who repeatedly checks apps during work, a concrete goal might be finishing a meeting without checking. For someone losing sleep, it might be protecting bedtime. A clinician can help assess the problem and discuss approaches suited to the person’s needs. Discuss social media counseling and therapy options, along with practical goals for recovery.
If you are considering a particular approach, such as motivational interviewing, ask the provider how it would address your goals and what evidence supports its use for your situation.
Getting Help With Social Media Addiction
Start with the changes you have noticed: missed sleep, arguments, unfinished responsibilities or repeated unsuccessful attempts to cut back. The National Institute of Mental Health recommends seeking an assessment for a child when concerning behavior interferes with life at home, at school or with friends.[11]
A social media self-test can help organize your concerns before a conversation. Read about ways to cut back, and bring examples of what has or has not worked to a health professional. Ask a prospective provider:
- Do you work with this age group and these concerns?
- What will the assessment involve?
- How do fees and insurance work?
- What goals will we work toward, and how will we review progress?
Finding treatment help can be a starting point for exploring services. Confirm that the provider addresses the concerns you describe.
Families considering legal options after serious harm can read our social media lawsuit guide or request a free case review. A case review does not replace mental-health care or emergency help.
If you or your child is thinking about suicide or needs immediate emotional support, call or text 988 in the United States. Call 911 in a life-threatening emergency.[11]
Frequently Asked Questions About Social Media Addiction Statistics
What Percentage of Americans Are Addicted to Social Media?
The available studies do not establish a current national diagnosed percentage. A historical estimate from researcher Ofir Turel suggested that 5%–10% of Americans could be at risk in 2018.[5] Current U.S. surveys provide clearer measures of time spent and frequency of use, which should not be converted into a count of diagnosed addiction.[1][2][5]
What Percentage of Teens Show Problematic Social Media Use?
The WHO reported signs of problematic use in 11% of adolescents ages 11, 13 and 15 surveyed across Europe, central Asia and Canada in 2022.[4] This measured difficulty controlling use and negative consequences. It is an international adolescent finding, not a U.S. teen diagnosis rate.[4]
Which Social Media App Is Most Addictive?
The surveys discussed here do not establish a reliable ranking of apps by addiction. YouTube and Facebook had the widest reach among U.S. adults in 2025, while teens used YouTube and TikTok frequently. Popularity alone cannot tell you which app is causing problems for an individual.[12][13]
What Age Group Uses Social Media Most?
Younger adults are more likely to use many platforms. In Pew’s 2025 survey, 80% of U.S. adults ages 18–29 used Instagram, compared with 19% of those 65 and older.[12] That measures use, rather than which age group has the highest rate of addiction.[12]
How Many Hours of Social Media Count as Addiction?
There is no single hourly cutoff in the problematic-use measure described here. The concern is loss of control and harm to everyday life, including neglected activities and continued use despite consequences. Tracking time can help you recognize patterns, but the effects on sleep, school, work and relationships also matter.[4][8]
Is Social Media Addiction a Real Concern?
Yes. Difficulty controlling social media use can interfere with everyday life. If a child’s distress or behavior is disrupting life at home, school or with friends, the National Institute of Mental Health recommends seeking an assessment. Concrete changes are enough reason to start that conversation.[4][11]
Is Social Media Time the Same as Screen Time?
Social media time is one part of screen time. Screen-time studies can also count television, videos, games, schoolwork or other activities, depending on the study. Common Sense Media’s 2019 entertainment screen-time figures included several types of media but excluded school and homework. Always check which activities a figure includes.[6]
How Long Does It Take to Become Addicted to Social Media?
These studies do not establish a fixed number of days or months. Pay attention to repeated loss of control and harmful consequences rather than waiting for a deadline. A health professional can assess changes that are interfering with everyday life.[4][11]
Does Social Media Addiction Treatment Work?
Some approaches show promise. A 2023 review found better mental well-being in five of six adult studies using therapy-based approaches. The often-quoted 83% describes the share of those studies showing improvement, not the percentage of patients cured.[15] Small or unrepresentative samples and weak study quality limit certainty about longer-term benefits.[15]
Get Treatment Help
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, getting help is just a phone call away, or consider trying therapy online with BetterHelp.
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