Social Media Statistics Updated November 2026

Human Written & Fact Checked · Updated

129 Millennials Social Media Statistics for 2026

Pew Research Center defines millennials as people born between 1981 and 1996, so in 2026 they are in their 30s and early 40s. Pew used that label in its 2019 generation data, and the Reuters Institute uses it in the text of its Digital News Report. Most surveys report age bands, though: US adults aged 30-49 (Pew), EU residents aged 25-34 and 35-44 (Eurostat), Canadians aged 25-44, Swedes by birth decade, or fraud reports from people aged 30-39 (the FTC). Every figure on this page gives the band its producer used. Pew's 30-49 band holds most millennials but also the youngest Gen Xers, so it is never relabelled as millennials.

In Pew's 2019 data, 86% of US millennials said they used social media. In 2026, 78% of US adults aged 30-49 use Facebook, more than any other age group, and 69% get news from social media at least sometimes. In the EU, 85.53% of people aged 25-34 took part in social networks in 2025.

This page covers which platforms adults in their 30s and 40s use and how often, news and trust, the EU, Sweden, Canada, Great Britain and Australia, scams and harassment, views on children and social media, and platforms' ad audiences. Age bands from different producers are not compared as if they were equal, and ever-use, daily use and ad reach are kept apart.

Headline figures

Who counts as a millennial, and how did they use social media in 2019?

Pew Research Center counts people born between 1981 and 1996 as millennials. Its 2019 look at technology by generation found millennials ahead of every older generation on social media, Facebook and smartphones. Pew's newer social media surveys report age bands instead.

93% Millennials 90% Gen X 68% Boomers 40% Silent
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Share of US adults in each generation who owned a smartphone in early 2019, from Pew Research Center. Millennials were born 1981-1996.
PeriodValue
Millennials93%
Gen X90%
Boomers68%
Silent40%
Share of US adults in each generation who owned a smartphone in early 2019, from Pew Research Center. Millennials were born 1981-1996. (Pew Research Center (generations and technology 2019), Sep 2019)
  • Pew Research Center defines millennials as people born between 1981 and 1996 and Generation X as people born between 1965 and 1980; anyone born from 1997 onward belongs to the next generation (2019). (Pew Research Center (defining generations), Jan 2019)
  • The share of US millennials using social media was largely unchanged between 2012 and 2019, while the shares of Gen Xers, Boomers and the Silent Generation each rose by at least 10 points; 28% of the Silent Generation used social media in 2019. (Pew Research Center (generations and technology 2019), Sep 2019)
  • 84% of US millennials used Facebook in 2019, against 74% of Gen Xers; Facebook use in the Silent Generation nearly doubled from 22% in 2015 to 37% in 2019. (Pew Research Center (generations and technology 2019), Sep 2019)
  • 93% of US millennials owned a smartphone in 2019, against 90% of Gen Xers, 68% of Boomers and 40% of the Silent Generation; 19% of millennials were smartphone-only internet users with no home broadband (2019). (Pew Research Center (generations and technology 2019), Sep 2019)
  • 73% of US millennials who used the internet said in 2018 that it had been mostly a good thing for society, against 63% of Silent Generation users; among Gen X users the share fell from 80% in 2014 to 69% in 2018 (published 2019). (Pew Research Center (generations and technology 2019), Sep 2019)

These are Pew's 2019 figures, from a phone survey of US adults, and are the only figures on this page that use the millennial label for US adults. In 2019 millennials were aged 23 to 38. Newer Pew figures on this page use age bands and are not compared with the 2019 generation figures.

Which social media platforms do US adults aged 30-49 use?

YouTube and Facebook reach most US adults aged 30-49, and Instagram almost two-thirds. Facebook and Nextdoor are the platforms where this band is clearly ahead of adults under 30. On Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, 30-49s sit between younger and older adults.

  1. 1 YouTube 91%
  2. 2 Facebook 78%
  3. 3 Instagram 64%
  4. 4 TikTok 45%
  5. 5 WhatsApp 39%
  6. 6 LinkedIn 37%
  7. 7 Reddit 35%
  8. 8 Snapchat 33%
  9. 9 Nextdoor 21%
  10. 10 X 20%
Share of US adults aged 30-49 who say they ever use each platform, from Pew's survey of 30 January to 18 June 2026. (Pew Research Center (2026 social media use), Oct 2026)

Pew surveyed 5,511 US adults by web, mail and phone. It reports age bands (18-29, 30-49, 50-64, 65+), not generations; in 2026 the 30-49 band holds most millennials and the youngest Gen Xers. The WhatsApp gap between 30-49s and 18-29s is small and may be within the margin of error. The 2021 Nextdoor figure comes from a phone survey, so Pew flags a change of method in the trend.

How often do US adults aged 30-49 use Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and X?

Facebook is the daily habit of US adults in their 30s and 40s: they are more likely than any other age group to use it every day. YouTube comes next. Daily TikTok and X use in this band is well below that of adults under 30.

  1. 1 Facebook 58%
  2. 2 YouTube 54%
  3. 3 TikTok 28%
  4. 4 X 10%
Share of all US adults aged 30-49 who use each platform at least once a day, from Pew's survey of 24 February to 2 March 2025. (Pew Research Center (2025 social media use), Nov 2025)

Daily use means several times a day or about once a day, as a share of all adults in each age band (not of each platform's users). Pew asked how often people use only these four platforms, in a survey of 5,123 US adults. Daily use (2025 survey) and ever-use (2026 survey) come from different surveys and are not compared.

Which other platforms and apps do US adults aged 30-49 use?

More than a third of US adults aged 30-49 have used a dating site or app, and almost every adult in the band owns a smartphone. Pinterest leans heavily towards women.

53% Under 30 37% 30-49 20% 50-64 13% 65+
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Share of US adults who have ever used a dating site or app, by age, from Pew's survey of July 2022.
PeriodValue
Under 3053%
30-4937%
50-6420%
65+13%
Share of US adults who have ever used a dating site or app, by age, from Pew's survey of July 2022. (Pew Research Center (online dating), Feb 2023)

Dating apps and smartphones are not social media; they are given as context. The Tinder figure is a share of online dating users, not of all adults.

Where do US adults aged 30-49 get news on social media?

Facebook is the main social news source for US adults aged 30-49, ahead of YouTube and Instagram. For this band, social media is level with news websites and apps as a way to get news, and search is ahead of both.

  1. 1 Facebook 49%
  2. 2 YouTube 38%
  3. 3 Instagram 28%
  4. 4 TikTok 25%
  5. 5 Reddit 12%
  6. 6 X 11%
  7. 7 Nextdoor 8%
  8. 8 LinkedIn 7%
  9. 9 WhatsApp 7%
Share of all US adults aged 30-49 who regularly get news on each platform, from Pew's survey of 24-30 August 2026. (Pew Research Center (social media and news fact sheet), Oct 2026)

All shares are of all US adults in the age band, not of each platform's users. The 2026 figures (August 2026 survey) and the 2025 figures (August 2025 survey) come from separate surveys and are each given with their own year; no trend is drawn between them. AI chatbots are not social media and are asked about separately.

Do US adults in their 30s and 40s trust news on social media?

US adults aged 30-49 trust information from social media less than adults under 30 do, and less than they trust national or local news organisations. Most of them come across political news by chance. News influencers reach a smaller share of this band than of adults under 30.

50% 18-29 41% 30-49 33% 50-64 24% 65+
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Share of US adults with a lot of or some trust in information from social media sites, by age, from Pew's survey of 8-14 September 2025.
PeriodValue
18-2950%
30-4941%
50-6433%
65+24%
Share of US adults with a lot of or some trust in information from social media sites, by age, from Pew's survey of 8-14 September 2025. (Pew Research Center (young adults and news), Dec 2025)
  • 41% of US adults aged 30-49 have a lot of or some trust in information from social media sites, against 52% for national news organisations and 67% for local news organisations (2025). (Pew Research Center (young adults and news), Dec 2025)
  • 60% of US adults aged 30-49 say they mostly get political news because they happen to come across it, and 39% because they look for it; among 18-29s it is 70% against 30%, and among those 65 and older 38% against 61% (2025). (Pew Research Center (young adults and news), Dec 2025)
  • 31% of US adults aged 30-49 would count someone who makes their own videos or posts about news on social media as a journalist, against 20% of 50-64s and 14% of those 65 and older (2025). (Pew Research Center (young adults and news), Dec 2025)
  • 59% of US adults aged 30-49 say it is always or usually acceptable for journalists to advocate on social media for the communities they cover, and 24% for journalists to express political views there; among 18-29s the shares are 63% and 32% (2025). (Pew Research Center (young adults and news), Dec 2025)
  • 21% of US adults regularly got news from news influencers on social media in 2024, including 37% of those aged 18-29; 63% of the news influencers Pew identified were men and 30% women. (Pew Research Center (news influencers 2024), Nov 2024)

Pew defines news influencers as people who regularly post about current events on social media and have at least 100,000 followers on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X or YouTube. The 2024 report gives no figure for ages 30-49, so the 2024 and 2025 influencer figures are not compared. The questions in this section come from several Pew surveys run between February and September 2025.

What does the Reuters Institute say about millennials and news?

The Reuters Institute's 2026 Digital News Report says millennials and Gen Z prefer social media and video networks for news, while people aged 45 and over still lean on TV. Most smart-TV news users aged 25-44 watch through video apps, and AI chatbot news use grew fastest among 25-34s.

70% 18-24 71% 25-34 67% 35-44 58% 45-54 44% 55+
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Share of smart-TV news users who watch news through video apps such as YouTube, by age, across the Reuters Institute's markets in 2026.
PeriodValue
18-2470%
25-3471%
35-4467%
45-5458%
55+44%
Share of smart-TV news users who watch news through video apps such as YouTube, by age, across the Reuters Institute's markets in 2026. (Reuters Institute (Digital News Report 2026), Jun 2026)
  • The Reuters Institute says millennials and Gen Z prefer to get their news from social media and video networks, while TV remains the main source of news for people aged 45 and above (2026). (Reuters Institute (Digital News Report 2026), Jun 2026)
  • 52% of people aged 18-24 across all markets say social media, video networks and AI chatbots are their main way of getting news, 32 points more than the next most popular main source (2026). (Reuters Institute (Digital News Report 2026), Jun 2026)
  • News websites and apps are no longer the main source of news for any single age group across the Reuters Institute's markets, and show signs of starting to skew older (2026). (Reuters Institute (Digital News Report 2026), Jun 2026)
  • Weekly use of AI chatbots for news rose from 7% to 10% across markets in a year, with the biggest growth among people aged 25-34, up 4 points (2026). (Reuters Institute (Digital News Report 2026), Jun 2026)
  • 71% of smart-TV news users aged 25-34 and 67% of those aged 35-44 watch news on the TV through video apps such as YouTube, against 58% of 45-54s and 44% of people aged 55 and over (2026). (Reuters Institute (Digital News Report 2026), Jun 2026)

The Reuters Institute surveys online samples (YouGov) in 48 markets and reports averages across them, not the world population. Its text uses the word millennials, but its charts show age bands; this page gives only figures that the report's text states with their age group. The smart-TV base is people who use a smart TV for news. AI chatbots are not social media.

How many people aged 25-44 use social networks in the EU?

Most Europeans aged 25-44 take part in social networks, and the 35-44 band has closed much of its gap with the 25-34 band since 2011. Use varies widely by country: Cyprus and Denmark are near the top for both bands, and Italy and Germany near the bottom.

58.84% 2011 66.28% 2013 73.77% 2015 76.99% 2017 77.99% 2019 78.08% 2021 79.97% 2023 84.67% 2024 85.53% 2025
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Share of people aged 25-34 in the EU-27 taking part in social networks in the three months before the survey. The rise between 2023 and 2024 appears in every age group and may reflect changes to the survey, so it is not read as growth.
PeriodValue
201158.84%
201366.28%
201573.77%
201776.99%
201977.99%
202178.08%
202379.97%
202484.67%
202585.53%
Share of people aged 25-34 in the EU-27 taking part in social networks in the three months before the survey. The rise between 2023 and 2024 appears in every age group and may reflect changes to the survey, so it is not read as growth. (Eurostat (ICT usage in households), Apr 2026)
  • In 2025, 90.45% of EU people aged 16-24 took part in social networks, against 68.24% of 45-54s, 52.23% of 55-64s and 34.1% of 65-74s; the share for all people aged 16-74 was 67.26%. (Eurostat (ICT usage in households), Apr 2026)
  • Among EU people aged 25-34, the share taking part in social networks was 58.84% in 2011, 73.77% in 2015 and 80.16% in 2020. (Eurostat (ICT usage in households), Apr 2026)
  • Among EU people aged 35-44, the share was 37.54% in 2011, 55.3% in 2015 and 68.19% in 2020. (Eurostat (ICT usage in households), Apr 2026)
  • The highest shares of 25-34s taking part in social networks in 2025 were in Cyprus (97.17%), Czechia (95.62%) and Denmark (95.33%); the lowest were in Italy (75.2%), Luxembourg (82.63%) and Slovakia (83.4%). (Eurostat (ICT usage in households), Apr 2026)
  • Among 35-44s in 2025, the highest shares were in Cyprus (94.72%) and Denmark (93.02%) and the lowest in Italy (66.69%), Germany (71.6%), Slovakia (71.84%) and Luxembourg (71.95%). (Eurostat (ICT usage in households), Apr 2026)
  • In 2025, 91.44% of 25-34s and 84.67% of 35-44s took part in social networks in the Netherlands, 87.51% and 81.05% in France, and 88.04% and 79.34% in Spain. (Eurostat (ICT usage in households), Apr 2026)
  • Among German 25-34s the share was 81.7% in 2015, 80.91% in 2020 and 80.79% in 2025; in Poland it went from 71.48% to 88.04% between 2015 and 2025, and in Ireland from 77.58% to 96.41%. (Eurostat (ICT usage in households), Apr 2026)
  • In Hungary, 87.54% of 25-34s and 87.5% of 35-44s took part in social networks in 2025; in Ireland, 86.53% of 35-44s did. (Eurostat (ICT usage in households), Apr 2026)
  • Outside the EU, 93.88% of 25-34s took part in social networks in Norway in 2025, 93.61% in Türkiye and 90.11% in Switzerland; among 35-44s the shares were 91.73%, 89.57% and 83.17%. (Eurostat (ICT usage in households), Apr 2026)

Eurostat measures the share of all people in each age band (internet users and non-users alike) who created a profile, posted messages or made other contributions on social networks in the past three months. It reports age bands only, not generations. The jump between 2023 and 2024 may come from a change in the survey and is not described as growth; comparisons here name both years.

Which platforms do Swedes born in the 1980s and 1990s use?

Swedes born in the 1980s and 1990s use YouTube, Facebook and Instagram most. Those born in the 1990s are far more likely than the 1980s cohort to use Snapchat, TikTok and Reddit. LinkedIn reaches more of these two cohorts than of Swedish internet users as a whole.

  1. 1 YouTube 83%
  2. 2 Facebook 83%
  3. 3 Instagram 75%
  4. 4 LinkedIn 42%
  5. 5 Snapchat 30%
  6. 6 Reddit 22%
  7. 7 X 16%
  8. 8 Pinterest 15%
  9. 9 TikTok 10%
Share of Swedish internet users born in the 1980s who used each platform in the past 12 months, from Internetstiftelsen's survey of January 2026. (Internetstiftelsen (Svenskarna och internet 2026), Sep 2026)

Internetstiftelsen (the Swedish Internet Foundation) groups people by birth decade, such as born 1980-1989 or 1990-1999. These cohorts are its own grouping and do not match Pew's millennials (born 1981-1996). Figures are shares of internet users aged 8 and over who used each platform in the past 12 months. Small shares such as Bluesky may differ within the margin of error.

How often do Swedes born in the 1980s and 1990s use social media and messaging apps?

Among Swedes born in the 1980s and 1990s, Instagram is now a daily habit for more people than Facebook. WhatsApp use peaks in the 1980s cohort and Facebook Messenger in the 1990s cohort. Official statistics put social network use among Swedes aged 25-44 at around eight in ten or more.

  1. 1 Instagram 57%
  2. 2 Facebook 55%
  3. 3 YouTube 34%
  4. 4 Snapchat 17%
  5. 5 X 8%
  6. 6 TikTok 5%
Share of Swedish internet users born in the 1980s who use each platform every day, from Internetstiftelsen's 2026 survey. (Internetstiftelsen (Svenskarna och internet 2026), Sep 2026)
  • Daily Facebook use is 55% among Swedes born in the 1980s and 50% among those born in the 1990s, against 63% for the 1970s cohort and 21% for the 2000s cohort; daily Instagram use is 57% and 62% (2026). (Internetstiftelsen (Svenskarna och internet 2026), Sep 2026)
  • 34% of Swedes born in the 1980s and 41% of those born in the 1990s use YouTube daily; 17% and 32% use Snapchat daily, and 5% and 15% TikTok (2026). (Internetstiftelsen (Svenskarna och internet 2026), Sep 2026)
  • 31% of Swedes born in the 1980s use WhatsApp daily; among those born in the 1990s, 55% use WhatsApp (17% daily) and 90% use Facebook Messenger, against 84% of the 1980s cohort (2026). (Internetstiftelsen (Svenskarna och internet 2026), Sep 2026)
  • 59% of Swedish women born in the 1990s say social media content affects views on gender roles and norms, against 44% of men born in the 1990s; in the 1980s cohort it is 50% of women and 39% of men (2026). (Internetstiftelsen (Svenskarna och internet 2026), Sep 2026)
  • In Eurostat's 2025 survey, 86.55% of Swedes aged 25-34 and 79.02% of those aged 35-44 took part in social networks. (Eurostat (ICT usage in households), Apr 2026)
  • In Statistics Sweden's 2026 survey, 84% of Swedes aged 25-34 and 81% of those aged 35-44 used social networks (margin of error about 4 points each). (Statistics Sweden (SCB it-användning), Oct 2026)
  • Instagram and Facebook were the most popular social platforms among Swedes aged 25-44 in 2025, while Facebook led among people over 44. (Nordicom (Media Barometer 2025), May 2026)

Internetstiftelsen reports birth decades; Eurostat, Statistics Sweden (SCB) and Nordicom report age bands from separate surveys with their own questions, so their figures are not compared with each other or with the birth-decade figures. The gender-roles question was asked of internet users aged 18 and over; "affects" covers content that mainly reinforces or mainly questions those views, or both.

How do people aged 25-44 use social media in Canada and Great Britain?

Most Canadians aged 25-44 use social networking, but more of them send email, listen to music online and use messaging apps. Almost half reported at least one adverse effect from social networking in 2018. In Great Britain, the 25-34 and 35-44 bands were almost level on social networking in 2020.

90.5% 15-24 89.6% 25-44 72.3% 45-64 43.5% 65+
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Share of Canadians who used social networking websites or apps in the past 12 months, by age, 2022, from the Canadian Internet Use Survey.
PeriodValue
15-2490.5%
25-4489.6%
45-6472.3%
65+43.5%
Share of Canadians who used social networking websites or apps in the past 12 months, by age, 2022, from the Canadian Internet Use Survey. (Statistics Canada (Canadian Internet Use Survey), Jul 2023)
  • Social networking use among Canadians aged 25-44 was 86.4% in 2018 and 87.2% in 2020; in 2022 it was 90.5% among 15-24s, 72.3% among 45-64s, 43.5% among those 65 and over and 73.7% of all Canadians aged 15 and over. (Statistics Canada (Canadian Internet Use Survey), Jul 2023)
  • 91.6% of Canadian women aged 25-44 used social networking sites or apps in 2022, against 87.8% of men the same age. (Statistics Canada (Canadian Internet Use Survey), Jul 2023)
  • In 2022, 96.2% of Canadians aged 25-44 sent and received email, 93.2% listened to music online, 91.2% used instant messaging apps, 85.4% accessed the news, 80.1% made online voice or video calls and 13.4% used dating sites or apps. (Statistics Canada (Canadian Internet Use Survey), Jul 2023)
  • 49.4% of Canadians aged 25-44 reported at least one adverse effect from using social networking in 2018, against 63.3% of 15-24s, 25.7% of 45-64s and 8.2% of those 65 and over. (Statistics Canada (social outcomes of internet use), Jun 2021)
  • In 2018, 37.0% of Canadians aged 25-44 said they stayed on social networking longer than intended, 16.2% lost sleep, 13.8% felt envious of the lives of others, 11.1% felt anxious and 8.7% felt depressed. (Statistics Canada (social outcomes of internet use), Jun 2021)
  • 91% of adults aged 25-34 and 90% of those aged 35-44 in Great Britain used social networking in the three months before the 2020 survey, against 97% of 16-24s and 70% of all adults. (ONS (internet access 2020), Aug 2020)
  • 87% of adults aged 25-34 and 92% of those aged 35-44 in Great Britain used instant messaging such as WhatsApp or Skype in 2020; 71% of all adults did. (ONS (internet access 2020), Aug 2020)
  • 84% of adults aged 25-34 and 86% of those aged 35-44 in Great Britain watched video from sharing services such as YouTube in 2020; among all adults the share was 47% in 2016 and 66% in 2020. (ONS (internet access 2020), Aug 2020)

Statistics Canada reports Canadians aged 25-44 over the past 12 months; 2022 is the latest age table found. The adverse-effects table covers social outcomes of using the internet and social networking in 2018; check its footnotes for the exact base. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures cover adults in Great Britain in the three months before the 2020 survey. The two countries' surveys use different bands, periods and questions and are not compared.

How are Australians aged 25-44 changing their social media use?

Australians aged 35-44 drove much of the rise in Instagram, TikTok and Reddit use in 2025, and they now use more apps than the average adult. Among 25-34s, messaging on Facebook Messenger and Snapchat fell while posting on Facebook rose.

63% Instagram 36% TikTok 33% Reddit
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Share of Australian adults aged 35-44 who used each platform in the six months to June 2025, from ACMA's tracking survey. All three rose on 2024.
PeriodValue
Instagram63%
TikTok36%
Reddit33%
Share of Australian adults aged 35-44 who used each platform in the six months to June 2025, from ACMA's tracking survey. All three rose on 2024. (ACMA (How we communicate), Feb 2026)
  • 63% of Australian adults aged 35-44 used Instagram in the six months to June 2025, up from 57%; across all adults Instagram use rose to 53% from 50%. (ACMA (How we communicate), Feb 2026)
  • Reddit use among Australian adults aged 35-44 rose to 33% from 26% in the six months to June 2025; across all adults, 30% used TikTok and 25% Reddit. (ACMA (How we communicate), Feb 2026)
  • Pinterest use among Australians aged 25-34 rose to 24% from 18% in the six months to June 2025; across all adults it was 20%. (ACMA (How we communicate), Feb 2026)
  • In the seven days to June 2025, 53% of Australians aged 35-44 used Instagram, up from 47%, and 25% used TikTok, up from 17%; Facebook was the most used service among all adults, at 68%. (ACMA (How we communicate), Feb 2026)
  • 49% of Australian Instagram users aged 35-44 used it multiple times a day in 2025, up from 34% in 2024; across all Instagram users it was 41%. (ACMA (How we communicate), Feb 2026)
  • 42% of Australian WhatsApp users aged 35-44 used it multiple times a day in 2025, up from 35%; across all WhatsApp users it was 28%. (ACMA (How we communicate), Feb 2026)
  • Among Australians aged 25-34, use of Facebook Messenger for messaging fell to 67% from 74% in the seven days to June 2025, and Snapchat messaging to 21% from 27%. (ACMA (How we communicate), Feb 2026)
  • Posting or creating content on Facebook rose among Australians aged 25-34 to 21% from 15%, and among 18-24s to 11% from 5%; 26% of all adults posted on Facebook in the seven days to June 2025. (ACMA (How we communicate), Feb 2026)
  • Australians aged 35-44 used an average of 4.7 communication and social media apps in the seven days to June 2025, up from 4.4; 18-24s used 5.3 and all adults 4.0. (ACMA (How we communicate), Feb 2026)
  • 16% of Australians aged 35-44 actively engaged with TikTok content (liking, sharing or commenting) in the seven days to June 2025, up from 10%, the same share as all adults. (ACMA (How we communicate), Feb 2026)

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) reports use in the past six months, use in the past seven days and use multiple times a day. These are different measures and are not compared. Multiple-times-a-day shares are of each app's users, not of all adults.

How often do scams and harassment reach people in their 30s and 40s through social media?

About a third of US fraud loss reports from people in their 30s and 40s say the scam began on social media, and reported losses from these scams have risen every year since 2020. In Pew's 2020 survey, about half of US adults aged 30-49 had been harassed online.

$261M 2020 $789M 2021 $1.2B 2022 $1.5B 2023 $1.9B 2024 $2.1B 2025
View data table
Reported US losses to scams that started on social media, all ages, in billions of dollars, from the FTC's Consumer Sentinel reports.
PeriodValue
2020$261M
2021$789M
2022$1.2B
2023$1.5B
2024$1.9B
2025$2.1B
Reported US losses to scams that started on social media, all ages, in billions of dollars, from the FTC's Consumer Sentinel reports. (FTC (social media scams spotlight 2026), Apr 2026)
  • 32% of 2025 US fraud loss reports from people aged 30-39, and 32% from those aged 40-49, said the scam started on social media, against 40% for ages 18-29, 29% for 60-69, 23% for 70-79 and 14% for 80 and over. (FTC (social media scams spotlight 2026), Apr 2026)
  • Social media was the contact method in 28% of US fraud reports with a loss in 2025, second to websites or apps (31%) and ahead of phone calls (11%), email (10%) and text messages (7%). (FTC (social media scams spotlight 2026), Apr 2026)
  • In the first half of 2023, 32% of US fraud loss reports from people aged 30-39 and 28% from those aged 40-49 named social media as the contact method; it was the top contact method for every age group under 70. (FTC (social media scams spotlight 2023), Oct 2023)
  • About half of US adults aged 30-49 had experienced online harassment in 2020, and 32% had faced more severe forms, against 64% and 48% of those under 30 and 26% and 12% of those 50 and older. (Pew Research Center (online harassment 2020), Jan 2021)
  • 75% of US adults who had been harassed online said the most recent time was on social media, equal to 31% of all Americans; 79% said social media companies did an only fair or poor job of dealing with harassment (2020). (Pew Research Center (online harassment 2020), Jan 2021)
  • 33% of US women under 35 said they had been sexually harassed online, against 11% of men under 35 (2020). (Pew Research Center (online harassment 2020), Jan 2021)

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) figures are consumer reports to its Consumer Sentinel database that indicate a loss, not a representative survey, and the FTC says most fraud goes unreported. Reports were not collected during the 2025 government shutdown. The FTC reports ages 30-39 and 40-49; its 2023 and 2025 youngest bands differ. Pew's harassment survey (September 2020) covers harassment anywhere online and uses the 30-49 band.

What do US adults aged 30-49 and parents think about children and social media?

US adults aged 30-49 are the age group most in favour of banning social media for under-16s, and large majorities back parental consent, age checks and time limits. Parents of teens worry about teen mental health and about their own phone use. Pew does not report parents' ages, so parents are not labelled millennials here.

52% 18-29 63% 30-49 57% 50-64 49% 65+
View data table
Share of US adults who support banning social media for children under 16, by age, from Pew's survey of 26 May to 1 June 2026.
PeriodValue
18-2952%
30-4963%
50-6457%
65+49%
Share of US adults who support banning social media for children under 16, by age, from Pew's survey of 26 May to 1 June 2026. (Pew Research Center (under-16 ban survey), Jul 2026)
  • Support for banning social media for under-16s is 52% among US adults aged 18-29, 57% among 50-64s and 49% among those 65 and older; 65% of parents of a child under 18 support it, against 52% of adults without one (2026). (Pew Research Center (under-16 ban survey), Jul 2026)
  • 86% of US adults aged 30-49 support social media companies requiring parental consent for minors to open accounts, 79% support age verification and 78% time limits for minors; among 18-29s the shares are 74%, 66% and 68% (2026). (Pew Research Center (under-16 ban survey), Jul 2026)
  • 55% of US parents of teens are extremely or very concerned about teen mental health, against 35% of teens; among concerned parents, 44% say social media has the biggest negative effect on teens, against 22% of concerned teens (2024 survey). (Pew Research Center (teens and mental health), Apr 2025)
  • 47% of US parents of teens say they spend too much time on their own smartphone, 45% about the right amount and 5% too little (2023). (Pew Research Center (teens, parents and screen time), Mar 2024)
  • 31% of US parents of teens say they are regularly distracted by their phone when their teen tries to talk to them; 46% of teens say their parent is at least sometimes distracted (2023). (Pew Research Center (teens, parents and screen time), Mar 2024)
  • Half of US parents of teens look through their teen's phone, including 64% of parents of 13-14 year olds and 41% of parents of 15-17s; 47% limit how much time their teen can spend on the phone (2023). (Pew Research Center (teens, parents and screen time), Mar 2024)
  • 76% of US parents of teens say managing their teen's phone time is an important or top priority; about four in ten find it hard and 26% easy, and 38% at least sometimes argue with their teen about it (2023). (Pew Research Center (teens, parents and screen time), Mar 2024)

Pew's policy questions use age bands; parents of under-18s are a separate group of any age. The parent figures come from surveys of US parents of teens aged 13-17 and their teens (2023 and 2024); Pew does not give the parents' ages, and phone time is not the same as social media use.

How large is the 25-44 audience in platforms' ad tools?

In the ad tools of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, men aged 25-34 are the largest single age and sex group shown; on Pinterest it is women aged 25-34. These are ad reach figures from each platform's own planning tools, not counts of unique users, and they are given here as individual shares only.

  1. 1 Men 25-34 18.7%
  2. 2 Women 25-34 13.0%
  3. 3 Men 35-44 12.0%
  4. 4 Men 18-24 10.5%
  5. 5 Women 35-44 8.8%
  6. 6 Women 18-24 7.6%
  7. 7 Women 65+ 3.8%
  8. 8 Men 65+ 3.4%
Share of Facebook's global ad audience aged 18 and over in selected age and sex groups, October 2026, from Meta's ad planning tools as reported by Kepios. Each bar is a separate share; groups not shown are left out. (Kepios (DataReportal Facebook stats), Nov 2026)
  • Women aged 25-34 make up 13.0% of Facebook's global ad audience aged 18 and over, men aged 35-44 12.0% and women aged 35-44 8.8%; men aged 18-24 are 10.5% (October 2026). (Kepios (DataReportal Facebook stats), Nov 2026)
  • Men aged 25-34 make up 18.8% of Instagram's global ad audience aged 18 and over and women aged 25-34 15.1%; men aged 35-44 are 8.9% and women aged 35-44 8.0% (October 2026). (Kepios (DataReportal Instagram stats), Nov 2026)
  • Men aged 25-34 make up 11.2% of YouTube's global ad audience and women aged 25-34 9.7%; men aged 35-44 are 9.7% and women aged 35-44 9.0% (October 2026). (Kepios (DataReportal YouTube stats), Nov 2026)
  • Male members aged 25-34 make up 18.9% of LinkedIn's global ad audience and female members aged 25-34 14.3%; members aged 35-54 are 9.0% (men) and 7.0% (women) (October 2026). (Kepios (DataReportal LinkedIn stats), Nov 2026)
  • Men aged 25-34 make up 21.9% of TikTok's global ad audience and women aged 25-34 20.8%; women aged 35-44 are 9.2% and men aged 35-44 8.8% (October 2026). (Kepios (DataReportal TikTok stats), Nov 2026)
  • Women aged 25-34 make up 22.6% of Pinterest's global ad audience and women aged 18-24 21.2%; men aged 25-34 are 10.2%, and 65.5% of the ad audience is female (October 2026). (Kepios (DataReportal Pinterest stats), Oct 2026)
  • Snap says Snapchat reaches 75% of "Gen Z and Millennials", which it defines as 13-34 year olds, across 25 or more countries (internal data, second quarter of 2024); it also says about 80% of Snapchatters are over 18 and nearly 1 in 4 are over 35. (Snap Inc. (Snapchat for Business), 2024)

Kepios (DataReportal) reports ad reach from each platform's own ad planning tools, worldwide. Ad reach is not a count of unique users or a survey, and the tools count differently from one platform to another, so shares are not compared across platforms or added together. LinkedIn's printed age shares do not cover its whole ad audience. Snap's figure is a company claim based on internal data; its "Gen Z and Millennials" covers ages 13-34.

Glossary

Millennials
People born between 1981 and 1996, the definition used by Pew Research Center. Most surveys report age bands instead.
Gen X
People born between 1965 and 1980, in Pew Research Center's definition.
Ever-use
The share of people who say they use a platform at all, however often.
Daily use
In Pew's surveys, using a platform several times a day or about once a day.
Regularly get news
Pew's measure of people who say they regularly get news on a given site, as a share of all adults in a group.
Birth decade
Internetstiftelsen's grouping of people by the decade they were born in, such as born in the 1980s.
Ad reach
The audience a platform's ad tools say advertisers can reach. It is not a count of unique users.
Consumer Sentinel
The FTC's database of fraud and other consumer reports. Reports are not a representative survey.
FTC
Federal Trade Commission, the US consumer protection agency.
DNR
The Reuters Institute's annual Digital News Report, based on online surveys in 48 markets in 2026.
ACMA
Australian Communications and Media Authority.
ONS
Office for National Statistics, the UK statistics office.
SCB
Statistiska centralbyrån (Statistics Sweden), the Swedish statistics office.
Internetstiftelsen
The Swedish Internet Foundation, which publishes the annual Svenskarna och internet survey.
Kepios
The analysis company behind DataReportal, which reports platforms' ad audience figures.

Methodology and sources

Millennials are usually defined as people born between 1981 and 1996, Pew Research Center's definition. The label is used here only where the producer uses it: Pew's 2019 generation data, the Reuters Institute's report text and Snap's "Gen Z and Millennials" (ages 13-34). Every other figure gives its producer's own age band, such as US adults aged 30-49, EU residents aged 25-34 or 35-44, Canadians aged 25-44, Swedes by birth decade or fraud reports from ages 30-39, and bands from different producers are not compared as if they were equal. Pew's 30-49 band also includes the youngest Gen Xers. Figures come from survey researchers (Pew Research Center, the Reuters Institute, Internetstiftelsen, Nordicom), official statistics bodies and regulators (Eurostat, Statistics Sweden, Statistics Canada, the ONS, ACMA, the FTC), Kepios and Snap. Each figure links to the body that published it, with the date. Ever-use and daily use are kept apart, as are surveys from different years. Eurostat's change between 2023 and 2024 may reflect a change in the survey and is not read as growth. Kepios ad audience figures are ad reach from platforms' tools, given as individual shares and never summed. FTC figures are consumer reports, not a survey. Reuters Institute figures are given only where the report's text states the age group. The page is reviewed monthly and the date is shown at the top.