According to the latest findings from Pew Research Center published this week, Threads and Bluesky still lag significantly behind X in terms of U.S. user base.
This marks the first time the research organization has surveyed these newer platforms, revealing that each is used by less than 10% of American adults.
Although X isn’t among the largest social platforms in the country, it remains the dominant player among apps centered on short, real-time text updates in a vertical scroll.
Competition in this niche has intensified since Elon Musk acquired Twitter and rebranded it as X in October 2022. Changes in content moderation and a shift in the platform’s political stance prompted some users to seek out alternatives.
Alongside the rise of decentralized, open-source options like Mastodon and Bluesky, several startups attempted to launch their own Twitter alternatives, such as Spill, Post, T2 (Pebble), and Hive. However, many of these have since ceased operations.
Pew’s research highlights how firmly X still holds its position in this market.
Even Meta, despite its vast resources and influence, has yet to surpass X with its Threads platform, according to the report.
Pew’s data shows that 21% of American adults have used X, while only 8% have tried Threads and 4% have used Bluesky. Truth Social, on the other hand, has been used by 3% of U.S. adults.
Despite the influx of competitors, X’s user numbers have remained relatively stable over time. For example, Pew’s early 2023 report indicated that 22% of U.S. adults used X, and in 2021, 23% reported using Twitter prior to its rebranding.
Put simply, if X’s popularity is waning, the decline has been gradual.
This year’s survey also revealed that YouTube and Facebook continue to lead among U.S. adults, with 84% and 71% reporting usage, respectively.
Additionally, 50% of American adults reported using Instagram, 37% use TikTok, 32% are on WhatsApp, 26% use Reddit, and 25% are Snapchat users.
Pew also noted that many of these platforms have seen their user numbers increase over time. TikTok, for instance, has grown from 21% in 2021 to 37% today, while Instagram’s usage has risen from 40% to 50%. WhatsApp now reaches about a third of adults, up from 23% in 2021.
Reddit, which has gained popularity in the AI era due to various content licensing agreements, was used by 18% of U.S. adults in 2021, compared to 26% now.
Naturally, these statistics differ greatly from those for American teenagers, who still favor YouTube, followed by a different set of leading apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
