More People Now Use YouTube Than Facebook or Instagram — What Happened?

YouTube is officially dominating the social media scene in 2021 — now eclipsing Facebook and its counterparts on the leaderboard. A whopping eight in 10, or 81%, of Americans say they use YouTube, according to data from Washington, D.C.-based think tank Pew Research Center. That’s up by 8% since 2019, while usage of Facebook remained the same at 69%. A spokesperson for YouTube attributed the growth to its investment in short videos, livestreaming and an emerging commerce strategy during the homebound era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Watching YouTube on a television set is the fastest-growing viewing channel. “We saw living rooms accelerate during the pandemic,” Mariana De Felice, spokesperson for YouTube, said. “YouTube is deeply integrated into people’s social media experiences,” said Lee Rainie, director of internet and technology research at the nonprofit Pew Research Center. “It’s clear people use YouTube in a whole host of ways. That’s clearly reflected in the growth we’ve charted since 2019 … It turned the media environment into a participatory one.” The San Bruno-based company credits its rising popularity to the variety in content for many ages and groups, noting that trends during the pandemic — from people learning to cook to watching concerts...

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