So what are young people actually experiencing through using social media? There's been a noticeable shift in how they perceive the pressure to be popular on social media. More of them are saying there's ‘sometimes’ pressure, and less of them are saying they feel it ‘all’ or ‘most of the time.’

The biggest changes seem to have occurred during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 when we know young people began to spend even more time on social media (see chart 2 in this section). We don’t know exactly what’s driving these changes, but let’s hope the trend continues.

Despite this small but positive shift, young people are still seeking moments of validation and popularity in the digital realm. Take Terri for instance, who's 13.¹ She has a dance-focused Instagram account with roughly a thousand followers, and wanted to reach more people. So, whenever she posted a dance video, she tagged her peers or other professional dancers, in an effort to ensure a wider audience saw her video in their feeds. Online popularity isn’t the be-all-and-end-all for most young people, but it’s significant for many.