The Youth Internet Monitor 2026 presents a surprising finding that is particularly relevant to the debate on social media bans: virtually all social media platforms are losing users. In contrast, the popularity of AI chatbots is rising sharply, according to a survey conducted by the Institute for Youth Culture Research on behalf of Saferinternet.at. A total of 500 children and adolescents aged 11 to 17 were surveyed, the organization said on Monday.
The representative study was conducted for the eleventh time. WhatsApp remained the most popular platform. Eighty-two percent of respondents use the messaging service, and 84 percent of them do so daily. However, WhatsApp lost five percentage points compared to the previous year. YouTube ranked second with 76 percent usage—half of users access it daily—representing a decline of four percentage points.
User decline across all platforms
Third place went to the messaging app Snapchat, used by 65 percent of respondents, 85 percent of them daily. It was followed closely by TikTok and Instagram, each used by 64 percent of adolescents. TikTok recorded daily use among 83 percent of its users, compared to 77 percent for Instagram. Microsoft Teams ranked sixth with 31 percent usage. Compared to the previous year, all platforms saw significant losses: Snapchat and Instagram each dropped by nine percentage points, TikTok by eight, and Teams by four.
Other commonly used apps include Pinterest (31 percent), the gaming platform Roblox (23 percent), and the communication platform Discord (18 percent). Streaming platform Twitch reached 14 percent. All of these platforms lost users as well—except for the messaging app Signal and the forum Reddit, each gaining nine percent. The instant photo app BeReal recorded the steepest decline: after being used by nearly one-third of respondents in 2024, it has steadily lost relevance and is now used by just seven percent.
Gender differences continue to narrow
Gender differences are becoming less pronounced. YouTube (79 percent of boys vs. 73 percent of girls) and TikTok (67 vs. 61 percent) are still used slightly more by boys, while no differences were recorded this year for WhatsApp, Snapchat, or Instagram. In 2025, Snapchat had been dominated by girls, who this year are more strongly represented on Teams than boys. Clear male majorities remain on Discord (28 percent of boys vs. eight percent of girls) and Twitch (23 vs. five percent), while the gap is smaller on Roblox (25 percent of boys vs. 21 percent of girls). Conversely, significantly more girls use Pinterest (55 percent vs. eight percent). Reddit and X are used more frequently by boys.
In addition, usage motives have shifted noticeably. Instead of direct communication with friends, following specific people, or staying informed about one’s social environment, short videos now dominate. Initially a concept shaped mainly by TikTok, this format now defines the functionality of nearly all major platforms, according to Saferinternet.at. Passive consumption is now central, and many respondents were no longer able to name the content creators they follow.
AI chatbots and growing criticism
Because AI chatbots have become embedded in the daily lives of children and adolescents, Saferinternet.at conducted an additional survey on the topic. Ninety-four percent reported using them. This trend, along with the wide range of other offerings—such as streaming services like Spotify, Netflix, and Disney+—likely helps explain the decline in social media use. A sense of saturation also appears to be emerging. According to Saferinternet.at, young people increasingly express criticism in focus group discussions, particularly regarding the high volume of advertising and repetitive content. Disturbing content and hate speech also make social networks less attractive for many adolescents. Further details of the AI chatbot study will be published on February 9.
