As we show in our new Teens report – Facebook remains the top social platform among 16-19s. However, its popularity is falling: about half of teenage internet users now say they are active on Facebook, down from 70% in 2012.

This still gives Facebook a notable lead over its rivals (YouTube and Twitter can boast active usage rates of around 30%, whereas Google+ posts a figure nearer a quarter) but it’s clearly important that two thirds of teen Facebookers in the UK and US say they are using the network less – mostly due to a lack of interest or else simple boredom with the site.

The ways in which teens are using the network are changing too. Last month, 4 in 10 teen Facebookers browsed the platform without contributing – a theme we explore in more detail inside our Passive Facebooking report.

It’s the smaller, more specialized social networks which are the main drivers – and beneficiaries – of these trends. Teens are significantly more likely than average to be using Tumblr (15% are – three times as many as who were active on the platform in 2012). Instagram has also doubled its teen audience since 2013; almost a quarter of Teens are now using the photo-sharing service.

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Written by

Felim is Senior Trends Manager at GWI. He oversees the Trends team who produce a wide range of off-the-shelf reports and infographics along with our Chart of the Day series. Moving to GWI after completing a PhD, Felim specializes in writing about online consumer behaviors and digital trends.

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