A new report from the Washington-based Pew Research Centre has exposed a deep digital divide in America: Black and Hispanic teenagers are literally unable to get off their heavy screen sessions, spending far more time than their White peers glued to TikTok and YouTube.
According to the study published on Tuesday, more than half of Black teens (55%) and Hispanic teens (52%) say they are online “almost constantly” — exactly twice the rate of White teenagers, where the figure stands at 27%.
The addiction is most visible on the two most powerful short-video platforms.
Report shows ~1 in 5 teens overall use TikTok (16–21%) or YouTube (15%) "almost constantly," with higher rates among Black/Hispanic teens.
YouTube is the most-used platform (90% of teens ever use it; 73% daily), followed by TikTok (68% ever; 57–60% daily).
The numbers paint a stark picture.
While one in five American teens overall (around 20%) say they use TikTok or YouTube almost constantly, the reality for minority communities is dramatically worse.
The report, based on a nationally representative survey of 1,458 US teens aged 13–17, also reveals that the same groups leading in screen addiction are the heaviest users of nearly every major platform:
* 82% of Black teens use Instagram (vs 55% of White teens)
* Black teens are more likely than White/Hispanic teens to use X (Twitter) and Facebook; aligns with prior Pew data (33% teens overall use Facebook, higher for Black)
* WhatsApp, used for staying connected with relatives abroad, is significantly more popular among Hispanic and Black youth
Paying the highest price
The Pew researchers stress that the differences cannot be explained by age or gender alone; race and ethnicity remain the strongest predictors of extreme usage even after controlling for other factors.
Roughly seven-in-ten Black and Hispanic teens say they use chatbots, higher than among White teens (58%).
The study also found that roughly six in ten, or more, report using TikTok and Instagram, while a slightly smaller share say they use Snapchat (55%).
Far fewer turn to Facebook (31%) or WhatsApp (24%), and no more than one in five say they use Reddit or X (formerly Twitter).
As regulators in Washington continue to debate banning TikTok on national security grounds, this new data suggests the app has already become an inescapable part of life for America’s minority youth, with Black and Hispanic teenagers paying the highest price in screen time.
The full report, titled “Teens, Social Media and AI Chatbots 2025,” is available on the Pew Research Center website.
