According to a recent poll, Instagram is now more popular with teenagers than Facebook.
The research, which was conducted by investment firm Piper Jaffray, found that American teens seemed to prefer using the photo sharing site for social interaction, with a number reportedly closing their Facebook accounts due to underuse.
The Taking Stock With Teens survey polled 7,200 teenagers in the US, of which 53% were male and 47% female, between 25th August and 30th September, 2014. The sample was derived from homes that had an average annual income of $59,000 (£38,860).
It was revealed that in 2013, around 94% of US teenagers had Facebook profiles; however, the number has now in fact dropped to just 88%. While the research did focus on American users only, it could lead to a more global trend.
With results recorded in the spring and autumn, the researchers were also able to get a clear picture of what was happening on social news feeds throughout 2014.
For example, between April, when the first social soundings were taken, and September, Instagram use amongst teens rose from 69% to 76%. Pinterest was also found to have increased slightly, from 21% to 22%.
However, Facebook use had fallen from 72% to 45%, as did other big names, such as Twitter (63% to 59%) and Google+ (29% to 12%). Both Reddit and Tumblr managed to maintain their position, with 7% and 21% usage respectively.
It is believed that the drop in teenagers on Facebook may be down to its increased use amongst older relatives. However, as it also owns Instagram, this may not be such bad news for the California-based social media company.
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