Americans more inclined to browse social media than post their own content: Gallup

A new Gallup poll found that Americans say they are more likely to browse a social media platform’s content rather than upload their own posts.

The survey found that while most Americans who use social media platforms have accounts associated with them, less than half of those with accounts post their own content. Facebook and YouTube are the most popular platforms among Americans, with 76 percent and 89 percent, respectively, saying they have used the platforms.

Nearly half of Facebook account holders, which is equivalent to about 35 percent of Americans, said they post content occasionally on the platform. Instagram was the second most likely platform where Americans post content, with 42 percent of users saying they posted their own content.

Although YouTube is the most popular platform that Americans said they used, only 11 percent of those who have accounts said they posted their own content. Twitter, which has come under scrutiny since Elon Musk purchased it, is one of the least popular platforms among Americans, with about 39 percent of Americans saying they use the platform but only 11 percent saying they frequently post their own content.

The survey also asked what social media accounts the participants have deleted and found that few Americans close down their accounts. Three percent of Americans said they have deleted a Twitter account, 2 percent said they have deleted an Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube account and 1 percent said they have deleted a LinkedIn account.

The poll also found that younger Americans are “far more active” on social media across all platforms except Facebook. Instagram showed the widest gap between younger and older Americans, as 56 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds said they use Instagram daily or weekly, compared to 21 percent of Americans 55 years and older.

This Gallup poll was conducted Dec. 5-19 with a random sample of 1,803 adults. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points and the confidence interval is 95 percent.