Daniel Slotta
Research expert covering Greater China
United States internet user demographics - age groups - statistics & Facts
When it comes to internet usage patterns, age is an essential component. Based on the age group, individuals have different content, device, and platform preferences. Among adult internet users in the United States, adults between 18 and 49 years old had the highest online representation. Especially older generations have started using the internet more in recent years. Among people aged 65 years and older, 90 percent were internet users in 2024, compared to 73 percent in 2019.
It does not come as a surprise that things are different with TikTok. As of 2024, over 20 percent of internet users in the United States between 18 and 24 years were TikTok users. A further 19 percent accessed TikTok daily.
AI use is only one of the technological developments and a huge jump toward very different internet usage patterns. Due to being digital natives, younger generations are the quickest to pick up on new trends. This is the case not only in the United States but for the entire online population. It might take a little longer for older generations to get used to new technologies, however, these are only tools after all and are used in case they are necessary.
Smartphone usage feels like a full-time job
Owned by majority of adult Americans, smartphones are a popular device used to go online. Moreover, around three in 10 younger users aged 18-34 years, spend as much time using smartphones as people spend on an average full-time job , 40 hours and more in a week. On the contrary, a similar share of individuals 55 years and older use smartphones for only around four hours weekly.Online activities across different age
The range of online activities among smartphone users in the United States varies across different age groups. Those between 18 and 34 years old were more likely than any other age group to watch videos on their smartphones and the ones who were most into mobile gaming. Audiences between 35 and 64 years also watched videos online, but the majority did so on a TV set connected to the internet, along with smartphones. Out of all age groups, online users 35 to 54 years old were the ones most likely to research and purchase products via smartphone, and adults aged 55 years and older were the most eager users of online weather services.Social media preferences differ by age
Looking closely at usage patterns of selected most frequently used social media platforms, it stands out that young adults between 24 and 35 years old were the most active social media users in the United States. For instance, Facebook, the most popular social media website in the United States as of March 2025, had its most significant user base among 25-34-year-olds. Instagram was also used mainly by the same age group, around 28 percent, while being almost equally popular among young adults aged 25-34 years.It does not come as a surprise that things are different with TikTok. As of 2024, over 20 percent of internet users in the United States between 18 and 24 years were TikTok users. A further 19 percent accessed TikTok daily.
Online video consumption
Online videos are the content commonly keeping internet users in front of the screens. Younger generations in the United States were most likely to use smartphones to watch online videos, while majority of those 55 years and older watched videos on a TV set connected to the internet, more than on other devices. The dynamic is different for live stream content consumption. Users between 35 and 54 years were the most active consumers of this type of content. When it came to creating videos to upload on the internet or on social media, 45 percent of the adults of the same age group said they have made 20 or more videos to publish online.All eyes are on AI
With its immense popularity, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to have notable impact on people’s lives and overall society in the near future. Some think the impact is rather negative and when it comes to making ethical decisions, users in the United States are skeptical about turning to AI tools for this purpose. However, opinions on AI’s ability to make ethical decisions vary depending on users’ age, with older generations having least faith in it.AI use is only one of the technological developments and a huge jump toward very different internet usage patterns. Due to being digital natives, younger generations are the quickest to pick up on new trends. This is the case not only in the United States but for the entire online population. It might take a little longer for older generations to get used to new technologies, however, these are only tools after all and are used in case they are necessary.
