VOA慢速英语--美国半数青少年抛弃Facebook 转用YouTube、IG等平台

U.S. Teens¹ Dropping Facebook for YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat

A new study has found that the number of American teenagers using Facebook is dropping. Many turn instead to YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat.

The study by the U.S.-based Pew Research Center found that 51 percent of American teens between the ages of 13 to 17 said they currently² use Facebook. This was a large drop from 2015, when 71 percent of teens in that age group reported using the social media³ service.

The study found that YouTube is now the most popular internet service for teens, with 85 percent saying they currently use it. The second-most popular is Instagram, at 72 percent. Facebook owns Instagram.

Sixty-nine percent of teens said they use Snapchat, while 32 percent use Twitter. Less than 10 percent reported using Tumblr or Reddit.

In March, another Pew study found that 68 percent of adults said they were Facebook users⁴. Of those, 74 percent said they used the social media service daily. About half of the adults reported using Facebook several times a day.

Results of the latest study were based on interviews with 743 teens and more than 1,000 parents during March and April 2018.

The study also found that 95 percent of teens reported they either owned a smartphone or had a way of using one. This marked a 22 percent increase over a similar study from 2015.

When asked which services they use most often, 35 percent of teens identified Snapchat. About 32 percent said they use YouTube the most, while 15 percent said they use Instagram more than other services.

The Pew study found that, in general, teens from different economic and racial⁵ backgrounds liked the same services.

However, the researchers did find some differences.

For example, about 70 percent of teens whose families earned less than $30,000 a year said they used Facebook. Among teens from families making over $75,000, just 36 percent of teens reported using it.

There were also some differences among males and females⁶. The study found that about 42 percent of girls said Snapchat was the service they used most, compared to 29 percent of boys. More males – 39 percent – said they used YouTube the most, compared to 25 percent of females.

Pew’s latest study also confirmed⁷ earlier research that a huge majority of teens like to spend time gaming. When asked whether they ever play video games -- either on a computer, a game machine or phone -- 90 percent answered yes.

The marketing⁸ research company eMarketer noted⁹ in a report earlier this year that Facebook was losing younger users at a much faster rate than experts had predicted¹⁰. The company’s research showed that in 2018, less than half of U.S. internet users aged¹¹ 12 to 17 used Facebook on any device¹² at least once a month.

eMarketer said that even younger users would be signing off Facebook in 2018. It predicted a 9 percent decrease in users aged 11 and younger. The company said Facebook can expect to lose up to 2 million users aged 24 and younger in 2018.

The company also predicted about 1.6 million users 24 years and younger will be joining Facebook-owned Instagram in 2018. But another 1.9 million are expected to move over to Snapchat, the company said.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

teenager – n. someone who is between 13 and 19 years old

1 teens   

n.13至19岁的年龄；青少年

参考例句：

• His son is in his teens.他的儿子十几岁。
• She's not yet out of her teens.她还不到二十岁。

2 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

3 media   

n.(medium的复数)媒体，新闻媒介，传播媒介

参考例句：

• The local media reported rioting across the country.当地媒体报道了全国范围的骚乱。
• His latest movie is being hyped up by the media.他新近的电影正被媒体大肆炒作。

4 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。

5 racial   

adj.种族的；种族间的；由种族引起的

参考例句：

• We should have racial pride.我们应该有种族优越感。
• He spoke out against racial discrimination.他声言反对种族歧视。

6 females   

n.雌性动物( female的名词复数 )；女人

参考例句：

• The male birds are more colourful than the females. 这种鸟雄性比雌性更加色彩艳丽。
• The males in the herd protect the females and the young. 兽中的雄性动物保护雌性动物和幼崽。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 confirmed   

adj.确认的；坚定的；根深蒂固的v.批准(confirm的过去式和过去分词)；证实

参考例句：

• Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。
• The truth of his conjecture was confirmed by the newspaper report. 新闻报道证明了他的推测果然不假。

8 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 predicted   

预言，预测，预示( predict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise. 他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• She delivered exactly when the doctor predicted she would. 她恰好在医生所说的预产期分娩了。

11 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

12 device   

n.器械，装置；计划，策略，诡计

参考例句：

• The device will be in production by the end of the year.该装置将于年底投入生产。
• The device will save much time and effort for us.这种装置会使我们节省大量时间和气力。