Platform: YouTube
- Reach: Most-used in U.S. adults; 90% of teens
- Age: All ages (teens to 65+)
- Gender: Balanced (~45% female / 55% male)
- Usage: How-tos, entertainment, Shorts, news
- Note: Top platform for both teens and adults
Platform: Facebook
- Reach: Still widely used, esp. 30+
- Age: 18–29 (68%), 30–49 (78%), 50–64 (70%), 65+ (59%)
- Gender: More women (78%) than men (61%)
- Usage: Groups, marketplace, local news, family/friends
- Note: Strong with older adults
Platform: Instagram
- Reach: ~2B global MAUs
- Age: U.S. 18–29 (76%), 30–49 (66%); 60% under 35
- Gender: Slight male lean globally (~55% male)
- Usage: Lifestyle, Reels, creators, shopping
- Note: Gen Z + Millennial favorite
Platform: TikTok
- Reach: ~1.6B global users
- Age: 16–24 (~41% of users)
- Gender: Balanced, varies by region
- Usage: Trends, entertainment, creators, news (for young adults)
- Note: Primary Gen Z platform; 14% of U.S. adults get news here
Platform: Snapchat
- Reach: ~900M global users
- Age: Teen-heavy; strong Gen Z
- Gender: Historically female, but more balanced now
- Usage: Messaging, AR filters, close-friends updates
- Note: Remains central to teen communication
Platform: X (Twitter)
- Reach: ~550M global users
- Age: 27% (18–24), 30% (25–34), ~58% under 35
- Gender: ~69% male, ~31% female
- Usage: Real-time news, sports, politics, commentary
- Note: Teen use dropped to 17%
Platform: LinkedIn
- Reach: ~930M global users
- Age: Primarily 25–49 (professionals)
- Gender: Balanced overall
- Usage: B2B, networking, careers, professional content
- Note: Best for professionals and business
Platform: Pinterest
- Reach: ~570M global, ~98M U.S.
- Age: U.S. 18–24 (46%), 25–34 (40%); Gen Z fastest growing (42%)
- Gender: Historically 70% women, men growing fast
- Usage: DIY, shopping, fashion, lifestyle inspiration
- Note: High purchase intent, planning tool
Platform: Tumblr
- Reach: ~135M global users
- Age: 50% Gen Z; 60% of new users are Gen Z
- Gender: Mixed
- Usage: Niche communities, fandoms, expression
- Note: Gen Z revival platform
Platform: Reddit
- Reach: ~500M global users
- Age: Largest block = Millennials (40%)
- Gender: ~60–64% male
- Usage: Communities, hobbies, research, reviews, AMAs
- Note: Authentic, in-depth discussion space
| Platform | Active Users / Reach | Top Age Groups | Gender Trends | Key Usage Patterns / Interests | Notable Insights (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | #1 in U.S. adults; ~80–90% usage across ages | All ages; teens (90%) to older adults | Balanced (~45% female / 55% male ad reach) (ClearVoice, GWI, Wikipedia, AP News) | Video: How-tos, entertainment, Shorts, news | Most popular by reach; top platform for teens (Sprout Social, AP News) |
| Most used globally; U.S. reach high in adults | 18–29: 68%; 30–49: 78%; 50–64: 70%; 65+: 59% (Sprout Social) | Women (78%) > Men (61%) (Business Insider) | Community updates, groups, and News consumption | Female-skewed usage; strong among older adults | |
| ~2 billion MAUs globally | US: 18–29 = 76%; 30–49 = 66% (Sprout Social, Piktochart) | Slight male lean globally (55% male) (Exploding Topics, Investopedia) | Visual discovery: lifestyle, Reels, creators, shopping | Strong Gen Z/Millennial presence | |
| TikTok | ~1.58B worldwide | 16–24: ~41% of users; very popular with Gen Z (Wikipedia) | Balanced, varies by region | Short-form trends, entertainment, and news for younger audiences | Gen Z primary platform; 14% of U.S. adults get news from TikTok (ClearVoice, Wikipedia) |
| Snapchat | ~900M MAUs globally; strong Daily Active Use | Strongest among teens (gen Z) | More male skew over time (Exploding Topics) | Ephemeral messaging, AR filters, close friend engagement | Teen-focused usage remains high |
| X (Twitter) | ~550M MAUs globally | Under 35: ~58% (27% are 18–24; 30% are 25–34) (Exploding Topics) | ~69% male, ~31% female (Exploding Topics) | Real-time news, commentary, discourse | Teen usage dropped to 17% (AP News) |
| ~930M global users | Primarily 25–49 (working professionals) | Varies; generally balanced | Networking, B2B, career, learning | Strong among professionals and B2B audiences | |
| ~570M MAUs globally, ~98M U.S. MAUs (Wikipedia) | US: 18–24 = 46%; 25–34 = 40%; Gen Z = 42% of global users (Wikipedia) | Historically 70% women; men growing fast (Wikipedia) | Planning/inspiration: DIY, shopping, lifestyle | Gen Z growing fastest; creative, high purchase intent spaces (The Australian) | |
| Tumblr | ~135M MAUs globally (Wikipedia) | 50% Gen Z; 60% of new sign-ups are Gen Z (The Times) | Mixed | Niche communities, expressive, fandoms | Gen Z favors it for niche, identity-safe spaces |
| ~500M MAUs globally (Wikipedia) | Largest segment: Millennials (40%) (Talkwalker) | Skews male (~60–64%) (Talkwalker) | Deep discussion, authenticity, research, niche interests | Millennial-dominant; value communities and depth |
