How Many Teens Use Instagram in 2022? (Latest Data)

how many teens use Instagram?

Using Instagram for marketing means understanding Instagram demographics and what type of users are on the social media platform.

Instagram has over 1.393 billion monthly active users, which means ultimately you have tons of different people you can be seen by.

What really matters is that you are harnessing the power of your audience, and you may be looking to get your content in front of young adults.

If your products, services, or company is designed with younger users and teenagers in mind, you’ve got to make sure that your ad strategy is working on the right social platforms.

You may just be a concerned parent looking to better understand the makeup of the audience on Instagram in order to ensure that your child is safe and using Instagram in a positive way.

One great thing about Instagram is that they do offer security controls and features that can help teens to stay safe and out of harm’s way on the platform.

Regardless of your end goal, our post will dive into useful Instagram statistics about teen Instagram use and other relevant details about marketing and protecting younger users.

Let’s get started.

How Many Teens Use Instagram in 2022?

Based on the most recent data, 72% of teens are Instagram users.

instagram demographic breakdown 2022

Something that business users may want to know is that 73% of teen Instagram users say that they can connect with brands about products and promotions.

Even though there are a lot of teens on Instagram, it’s still not their favorite platform; only 25% of American teens report Instagram as their favorite social network. It’s reportedly in third place based on current surveys.

Snapchat still holds the top spot as the most used social platform by teens, and TikTok trails behind. Facebook isn’t anywhere to be seen!

Although many older adults like to use Facebook regularly, teens haven’t been a fan of the platform for quite some time. They prefer more of a video sharing platform like Snapchat or TikTok.

Yes, you can share videos on Facebook, but they are much more common on other social networks, and teens are here for it.

Instagram is the most diverse platform for marketing, since the majority of users are between the ages of 18-34.

If you’re targeting older age groups as well, the best social media platforms would be Facebook and Instagram.

For teens, though, other social media sites are their main focus, especially TikTok and Snapchat. Most teens have social media accounts on both.

Even still, you’ll find teens on Instagram, and with so many social media users out there from different demographics, it’s become a dangerous place if the proper restrictions and controls aren’t in place.

After all, not all people on social networks are friends and family — there are also strangers out there from all over the world that are looking to engage with teenagers as well.

As marketers, it’s important to realize this and to create ads that don’t put teens in a vulnerable position.


Read More: How To View Instagram Stories Anonymously In 2022


How Does the Number of Teens Affect Instagram Marketing  Efforts?

Based on a report from the New York Times, Instagram has spent large amounts of its ad budget on marketing to teenage users since 2018.

In 2021, the annual ad budget for Instagram’s social media platform was $390 million. Why would Instagram feel the need to spend so much money on ads when it has billions of users?

Well, the more users it has, the better chance it has to beat out other social platforms. The goal with this ad spend is for Instagram to become the social network with the highest percentage of teens out of any other.

In fact, when you know that 40%+ of Instagram users are under 22 years old, it’s a sign that you could probably focus on Instagram for ads with some good results.

In fact, American teens are on Instagram over Facebook 50% more of their time, which is something to note when deciding on the best platform for ads.

Twitter isn’t mentioned much either when it comes to teens.

Here’s a more detailed look at the favorite social media platforms of teenagers:

  • 35% of teens engage with Snapchat as their favorite platform
  • 30% of teens agree that TikTok is their fave
  • 22% of teens use Instagram as their favorite platform.

So, the numbers aren’t widely different; there isn’t a huge gap like more than half or anything like that. In order to lessen the gap even further, IG has included 13-15 year olds in their marketing strategy to prevent losses.

How Many Teens Use Instagram and The Effects on Them?

Although Instagram demographics report that the teen audience is lower than in the past, there are still many teen Instagram users worldwide, which means we should be paying attention.

We already have some insight into how marketing efforts are affected by and geared towards teens, but what about the other way around?

Does using social media sites have a negative or positive impact on teens, and what can we do about it?

There are certainly benefits to using social networks, and that includes Instagram. Of course, with all good things come downsides, so there are a few of those, too.

In 2018, a study was done by the University of Minnesota to show both dualities of Instagram and other social media sites, providing valuable news for parents and also marketers.

Here Are Some Benefits Reported by The Study:

  • Internet use allows for connections and informational research.
  • Teens use instant messaging to communicate.
  • The internet is seen as a place to hang out with friends.
  • A good website can provide resources and information about TV shows, movies, celebrities, music groups, how to do things, and much more.
  • Teens research a potential college or university they’re considering attending.

All in all, based on the statistics, the internet is seen as a vault of resources for teens to access pretty much any information or knowledge they need, which can be great.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t discriminate against which information to show, and they have the ability to come across some information or people that can cause harm.

The same is true when teens use the Instagram app. Let’s find out some of the downsides.

Here Are the Findings for Risks:

  • Bullying, cyberbullying, and rumors can cause a lot of distress to mental health.
  • Female users (and even male users) are exposed to unattainable beauty standards, and increased time spent on the app can lead to low self esteem and eating disorders.
  • It’s possible for teenagers to become addicted to Instagram and other networks, which is not good for children.
  • Universities and companies can check the app to evaluate potential attendees and rule them out if they find anything negative
  • Inappropriate relationships can come to life, leading to possible physical or emotional harm, even becoming fatal.
  • High depression rates in young adults is connected to extended social media use.
  • Exposure to age inappropriate behaviors such as vaping, smoking, drinking, or drugs can also put the child in a bad position.
  • Giving out personal information such as phone numbers or account information can be dangerous and lead to hacking on Instagram.
  • Cyberbullying can convert into real world attacks or danger, stemming from the app.

It’s not news that social media can bring harm to people, both young and old.

Inappropriate messages, shared personal data that can be used for stalking or bullying, and many other incidents can happen on the platform.

As a parent, it’s important to monitor your child’s behavior and social media usage. After all, you don’t want them to become another statistic consumed by the risk.

Trouble comes from social media in all different countries, including a place as small as the Cayman Islands, but if we do our research and can notice a sign of danger, it’s possible to avoid issues and only enjoy the benefits that social media brings.


Read More: Instagram Reels Statistics in 2022 (Data & Trends)


What Safety Features Are on Instagram to Help Protect Your Teens?

The good news is that there are safety measures in place to protect Instagram users from harm, and this is also true for teens specifically. Parents, this part is for you!

Any person who is under 16 and registered with the Instagram app is required to have a private profile.

What that means is that the child will get a notification with the news that someone has requested to follow them, and can either accept or delete.

Parents could even decide to allow or disallow someone to follow their child. This feature is definitely useful.

Conclusion

Now we understand all of the most up-to-date information about how many teens use Instagram and all of the implications in terms of business accounts, marketing, and teen habits.

That means we know exactly how we can use Instagram to better reach our target age group, as well as what parents can do to protect their children when using the social platform.

It’s no shocker that everyone, teens included, love using their cell phones, and are likely checking the Instagram app every now and then throughout the day for news and information about the world.

Sometimes, you may want to keep in mind that ads aren’t always good for teens; you may need to be advertising to their parents instead, or keep your ad campaigns under a certain tone.

Parents, keep in mind that your teens can use Instagram to talk to people in countries from all over the world. There are pros and cons to social media use, and that is true even for adults.

No matter what, as a marketer, you should use the best practices when marketing to teens based on current events and healthy trends out there.

As parents, you now have the information about one of the most popular social networks and how teens are using it. You can be informed about the risks and behaviors, as well as the benefit of social media use.

Do your research and implement your own controls as you see fit.

Regardless of how you intend to use the information, we hope it has helped!

Sources

Business Insider

Business Insider

New York Times Tech

Omnicore

University of Minnesota

Hootsuite (Image)

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