A new survey of social media users finds that not only are the great majority of Americans – 86 percent – 
Women in particular are more likely to be repeat users on a daily basis, with three-fourths of females (75 percent) using social media multiple times per day, compared to 64 percent of males.
The Top Social Media Channels
Among social media channels that respondents reported using at least once a week, Facebook is at the top, at 82 percent, and YouTube is not far behind, with 75 percent of respondents using it at least once per week.
Other top social media channels people use at least once per week include Instagram (53 percent), Snapchat (39 percent), Pinterest (38 percent) and Twitter (36 percent).
Regarding the increased amount of time people devote to social media, respondents reported spending more time on several social media channels in 2018 than they did in 2017, particularly YouTube, at 63 percent, and Instagram, at 61 percent.
Others attracting heavier use in 2018 include Snapchat, at 58 percent, and Facebook, at 52 percent.
Gender Differences in Social Media Usage
When it comes to Facebook, men and women are largely on the same page, with 83 percent of women and 81 percent of men using it at least once a week. But there is a gender divide regarding preferences for other social media channels.
Men are far more likely than women to use Twitter at least once per week, by a 51 percent to 28 percent margin. Men are also fans of Reddit, with 29 percent of males using it at least once a week, compared to to 8 percent of females.
Women, on the other hand, are more likely than men to use Pinterest, by a 44 to 26 percent margin.
How People Access Social Media
Two-thirds of all respondents (67 percent) use mobile apps to access social media at least some of the time, compared to 57 percent who use computer web browsers, 41 percent who use mobile web browsers, and 31 percent who use tablet apps. About 11 percent use smartwatches.
Mobile apps are also the method that most social media users prefer – nearly half (46 percent) of those surveyed say they use mobile apps the most often to access social media.
But there is, again, a big difference between the genders.
More than half of women (53 percent) prefer to use mobile apps to access social media, compared to 34 percent of men. Nearly as many men (33 percent) prefer to use computer web browsers, compared to 21 percent of women.
The difference is likely tied to the fact that women often have more mobile lifestyles requiring phones, while men tend to use computers more often.
Social media remains an important part of the average American’s life, and that does not look to change anytime soon.
Businesses need to be where their customers are – social media – and must have a //medium.com/@clutch_co/top-15-social-media-marketing-companies-in-2018-2f204bf47b05">social media strategy in place.
Kristen is a content writer and marketer at The Manifest, a business news and how-to website in the heart of Washington, D.C. Connect with her on LinkedIn, or reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
