What has Gen Alpha’s social media usage looked like?
In January 2024, when we surveyed 13-year-olds (the oldest members of Gen Alpha), we asked a series of questions about their social media usage. While these data are now two years old, they offer insight into how young people perceived their social media use at the time. They may also have implications for today’s 15-year-olds, as society considers the effects that these apps and websites may have on young people’s habits and long-term outcomes.
Gen Alpha Teens and Social Media Platforms
Social media use was common among the oldest members of Generation Alpha, born in 2010: 99% of these teens said they use social media at least sometimes. Most commonly, they used YouTube (82%), TikTok (65%), Snapchat (51%), Facebook (45%), and Instagram (41%). Less commonly, they used X (20%), Twitch (17%), Reddit (13%), BeReal (9%), and Threads (8%).
Reasons for Gen Alpha Social Media Use
These teens said they use social media for a variety of reasons, but most commonly, they used it because their friends used it (65%). It was also common for 13-year-olds to use social media to gain knowledge (52%), as a creative outlet (47%), and to connect to things they cared about (41%).
Perception of Social Media Usage Among Gen Alpha Teens
Overall, most Gen Alpha teens had positive perceptions of social media and their social media use.
Most Gen Alpha teens we surveyed disagreed (55%) that they share a lot of information about their personal life on social media. Meanwhile, 29% agreed and 16% responded neutrally to this question.
A large majority of these teens disagreed that social media had a harmful effect on their self-image: 72% disagreed that they feel worse about themselves after spending time on social media, while 12% agreed, and 17% remained neutral.
Regarding perceptions of wasting time on social media, we found more variation in Gen Alpha teens’ responses. Less than half (46%) disagreed that they waste too much time on these platforms, while 27% agreed and 27% remained neutral.
Overall, we found that social media use was practically ubiquitous among 13-year-olds in 2024, most of whom used YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat at least daily. Most of these teens used these platforms to connect with their friends, and most had positive perceptions about their social media use. Gen Alpha’s early experiences with and perceptions of social media may have implications for their long-term outcomes.
Note: See question wording and survey responses in the topline survey results and review methodology here.
Looking for more data on Generation Alpha? Read Springtide Data Drops on teen screen time, Gen Alpha’s identities, and Gen Alpha’s religion and spirituality, Gen Alpha and mental health. You can also download Thirteen: A First Look at Gen Alpha for free!
