According to TechCrunch, Pew Research Center’s latest social media report shows X maintaining its dominance over competitors like Threads and Bluesky in the U.S. market. The data reveals that 21% of U.S. adults use X, while Threads sits at just 8% and Bluesky at 4%. Truth Social attracted 3% of U.S. adults. This represents only a slight decline from 2021, when Twitter (before rebranding) was used by 23% of adults. YouTube and Facebook remain the overall leaders with 84% and 71% usage respectively. The report also shows significant growth for TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Reddit since 2021.
X’s staying power is remarkable
Here’s the thing that really stands out: despite all the drama, all the controversies, all the competitors launching with great fanfare, X’s numbers have barely budged. We’re talking about going from 23% in 2021 to 21% today. That’s basically statistical noise. Think about everything that’s happened since Elon Musk bought Twitter – the content moderation changes, the political shifts, the blue check chaos, the rebranding. You’d expect a massive exodus, right? But the data suggests most people just… stuck around.
Why Threads and Bluesky are struggling
Meta threw everything at Threads – their massive Instagram integration, billions in resources, prime app store placement. And they’ve only managed to capture 8% of U.S. adults. Bluesky, despite the early hype and Jack Dorsey’s backing, is at 4%. So what’s going on here? Basically, network effects are incredibly hard to overcome. People go where the conversation is happening, and for real-time text discussion, that’s still X. All those other startups like Spill, Post, T2 – most have already shut down. The barrier to entry in social media is just ridiculously high once a platform establishes critical mass.
The bigger social media picture
While we’re focused on the X vs. competitors battle, the real story might be elsewhere. Look at TikTok’s growth – from 21% in 2021 to 37% today. That’s massive. Instagram hitting 50% of U.S. adults is significant too. And Reddit’s jump from 18% to 26% shows how the platform has expanded beyond its niche. The social media landscape isn’t zero-sum – people use multiple platforms for different purposes. But for that specific use case of real-time public conversation? X still owns it, despite everything.
What this actually means
The data from Pew’s earlier reports shows a consistent pattern: established platforms are incredibly resilient. Facebook has weathered countless scandals. YouTube remains dominant despite competition. And now X appears to be following the same playbook. The teen usage patterns are completely different, as Pew’s teen data shows, but for adults? Habits are hard to break. The real test will be whether Threads can sustain growth or if it plateaus like so many other Meta experiments. For now, X’s grip on the real-time text space looks stronger than anyone expected.
