Our newsletterVendor reportSprout Social, 2026
US social users plan to spend the most extra time on Facebook in 2026
Channel validation
Top platforms US social media users plan to spend more time on in 2026
Top platforms US social media users plan to spend more time on in 2026| Platform | Share of users planning to spend more time on platform (%) |
|---|---|
| 46% | |
| YouTube | 37% |
| 31% |
- Reader Note:
- Based on Sprout's Q4 2025 Pulse Survey of 2,270 consumers in the US, UK and Australia, fielded September 25 to 28, 2025. This figure shows the share of US social media users who said they plan to spend more time on each platform in 2026: Facebook 46%, YouTube 37% and Instagram 31%. The report does not state the US-only base size for this chart.
- Evidence:
- Self-reported behaviour
- Vendor interest:
- Moderate — This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
- Sample:
- Online surveys of 2,305 consumers in the US, UK and Australia with at least one social media account and following at least five brands, plus 1,200 marketing leaders in the US, UK and Australia responsible for social media.
Reader Note:
Evidence:
Vendor interest:
Sample:Good for
A rough sense of size and direction, and deciding what to look at first.
Not for
- Exact numbers, or saying that one thing caused another.
- This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
Related cards
Channel validationTrend
Average AI search visitor converts 4.4 times better than organic search visitor
TrendChannel validationTrend
People click a link inside the AI summary on just 1% of search visits with AI summaries
Go deeper on this topic
Our Substack turns the data behind these cards into full breakdowns: what changed, why, and what to do about it.
Channel validationTrend
11.4% of US desktop shopping sessions now involve an AI toolChannel validationTrend
Roughly a quarter of US, UK, and German consumers use AI tools to research shopping products