Leader Insights

Digital & AI2026LI-X4561938E

Reasons 13-year-old Gen Alpha teens use social media

Percent of Gen Alpha teens citing each reason, 2026 (in percent)

Key finding

Highest: Their friends use it (65%). Lowest: To connect to things they care about (41%).

Source: Springtide Research Institute, What has Gen Alpha’s social media usage looked like? · Article published 2026-04-28.

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Questions about this statistic

What does this statistic show?

Highest: Their friends use it (65%). Lowest: To connect to things they care about (41%). Their friends use it: 65%. To gain knowledge: 52%. As a creative outlet: 47%.

Who published this data?

Springtide Research Institute, 2026. Source: Springtide Research Institute, What has Gen Alpha’s social media usage looked like? (https://springtideresearch.org/post/data-drop/what-has-gen-alphas-social-media-usage-looked-like).

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About this data

Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.