Top Apps
INSIGHTS
- YouTube is ranked the top app among middle and low-income high school students with over 80% usage, statistics were obtained from Pew Research.
- The top 10 most popular apps based on market penetration and teen usage for high school students in low and middle-income demographics were found to be YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, Tumblr, Musical.ly, Spotify, and Netflix.
Instagram and Snapchat are ranked the next most popular apps after YouTube, both with over 70% use in the middle to low-income teen market. Following Instagram and Snapchat, Facebook is the next most popular app, with over 60% popularity, but it is losing interest in the teen market. Statistics were obtained from Pew Research, the University of Chicago, and Business Insider.
Instagram and Snapchat are ranked the next most popular apps after YouTube, both with over 70% use in the middle to low-income teen market. Following Instagram and Snapchat, Facebook is the next most popular app, with over 60% popularity, but it is losing interest in the teen market. Statistics were obtained from Pew Research, the University of Chicago, and Business Insider.
INTRODUCTION
The top 10 most popular apps based on market penetration and teen usage percentages for high school age group low and middle-income demographics were found to be YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, Tumblr, Musical.ly, Spotify, and Netflix.
Statistics provided for the top 6 apps come from a combination of Pew Research figures, a University of Chicago study, and Business Insider polls. Pew Research lists the top apps used in teenage demographics of families earning below $30K per year, and from families earning between $30K and $75K. The remaining information was cross corroborated with triangulation from a number of other online sources as explained in the expanded methodology below the findings. After an extensive search we could not find information on, so popularity was provided based on usage.
The apps selected were all indicated as top apps by market share and media coverage. The statistical and media information was confirmed by more than one reliable source. Information available on market share was only used when sourced from 2018 studies. This was important to review recent information on apps since there is a wide variation in popularity over time. The Pew Research shows that there were significant differences in 2015 surveys from the recent 2018 surveys on app popularity, confirming that the app market will change rapidly over time.
While Gmail was cited in one study, it is considered email available as an app rather than an app in its own right, so this was not considered.
1. YOUTUBE
YouTube is available via an online platform or downloadable for free and was found to be the most popular app amongst middle and low-income families in the Pew Research study. YouTube provides free videos and the ability to create your own channels and content. Users can view, share, upload, subscribe to free channels, and comment on videos and music.
Statistics from Pew Research show that 86% of teens from families earning below $30K per year, and 84% from families between $30K and $75K. This research indicates that YouTube is currently the most popular app in the low-income high school market. Another study from eMarketer indicated a similar number of users.
Teens are using YouTube for blogging and vlogging (video-blogging) as well as for watching and sharing videos. YouTube's use has significantly increased among teens since the level of app visit nearly doubled in the past 3 years. Some popularity is due to the online success stories of YouTube teen video stars and the ability of teens to relate to video creators in their age group.
2. SNAPCHAT
Snapchat is a popular app where users can share pictures, follow their friends, post stories, and videos, and even send money. The ability to manipulate pictures with emojis, decorations, and other fun backgrounds, is particularly appealing to teen users.
Statistics from Pew Research show that 77% of teens from families earning below $30K per year, and 71% from families between $30K and $75K use Snapchat. These figures were supported by a University of Chicago study.
3. INSTAGRAM
Instagram is a popular social media photo sharing app which is also compatible with computers and tablets. Users can share popular hashtags and pictures. The ability to easily store and share pictures makes Instagram the most popular social app amongst high school students, for communicating and connecting, and the third most popular app overall.
Statistics from Pew Research show that 74% of teens from families earning below $30K per year, and 72% from families between $30K and $75Kuse Instagram. These figures were supported by a University of Chicago study.
4. FACEBOOK
The social media networking giant Facebook is still very popular amongst teens, especially lower-income teens who still indicate a 70% share of use. The platform and application where users can share their status, post pictures and videos, share content, message, and like and share posts remain firmly in the top ten apps used by high school teens for networking. Facebook does, however, look like it is losing popularity in the teen market due to the fact parents and friends of parents can potentially see all the status posts.
Statistics from Pew Research show that 70% of teens from families earning below $30K per year, and 56% from families between $30K and $75K use Facebook. These figures were supported by a University of Chicago study.
5. TWITTER
The next most popular messaging and social networking site Twitter is used by teens to stay current on trends and pop culture and to follow celebrities or other high-profile people. Unlike other social media accounts were usually a mutual connection is needed, anyone can connect and follow people on Twitter with public profiles.
Statistics from Pew Research show that 40% of teens from families earning below $30K per year, and 30% from families between $30K and $75K use Twitter. The University of Chicago study indicated Twitter usage by all teens at 47%.
6. WHATSAPP
Whatsapp is a message sharing device similar to Messenger owned by Facebook. The app operates independently without any connection to the Facebook app. Whatsapp is very popular with middle and low-income teens since messaging, video, and voice calls are available as long as there is an internet connection. Calls can be made as easily as a mobile phone call without using mobile network credit on public Wi-Fi. The statistics available on Whatsapp used triangulation, based on the findings that 40% of teens use messaging apps, and 24% of those use Whatsapp.
7. TUMBLR
Tumblr is a popular app among teens for blogging and vlogging. The app also allows posting of animated GIF content which is very popular for short media clips. Tumblr boasts an estimated 368 million users and maintains popularity among the 13 to 25-year-old age group.
Statistics from Pew Research show that 10% of teens from families earning below $30K per year, and 8% from families between $30K and $75K use Tumblr. Business Insider found that 9% of teens surveyed report using Tumblr.
8. MUSICAL.LY
The musical.ly app allows users to create short music videos of themselves to keep, post, or share with friends. It is rising in popularity due to its versatility and innovation in creating music videos. The app has achieved top 20 status in the Apple iStore. Online statistics available reported the use of musical.ly among teens overall to be 14% and boasts a following of 200 million users, with a loyal following among teens.
9. SPOTIFY
Spotify was considered the most popular music streaming app among teenagers, in the Business Insider survey it was ranked as the #1 music streaming app among teens. Of the 51% of teens listening to on-demand streaming apps such as Spotify, 21% indicated they were willing to pay for their music. Spotify ranks only second behind YouTube for music video viewing, with 44% of teens stating they use Spotify to stream their music.
Spotify recently launched a new free version allowing a free download of a number of on-demand songs in a limited play time, before reverting to the standard free version. This improved its ranking with low to middle-income families.
10. NETFLIX
Netflix was considered the most popular app for video streaming among teenagers for mainstream movies and television shows and accounts for 27% of teens video consumption. Although Netflix's teen audience is more likely to come from higher income families, the company has entered into a bundled subscription plan with T-Mobile for bundled phone and video streaming services, which provides a lower overall cost. The low-cost bundle was launched only days later Hulu and Spotify began offering a bundled service to college students.
Netflix's popularity among teenagers was also noted as the second most popular video streaming app after YouTube. Netflix uses various platforms, such as Smart TV, computers, tablets and mobile application.
EXPANDED METHODOLOGY
In order to arrive at the presented findings for the most popular apps in the low to middle-income teen demographic, search strategies incorporate an extensive review of digital media survey sites, such as Pew Research, Business Insider, and Emarketer.
In order to justify the predominant use of social media apps in the findings, the search was performed among marketing press release sites, such as PR Newswire and Forbes. A 2016 article appearing in Business Insider reported that 92% of teens reported using smartphone apps mainly for social media, while only 5% stated they did not use social media. Evidence from a study performed by Pew Research indicated that 95% of teens reported having access to a phone. To support this fact, this finding was corroborated with an article appearing in The Conversation stating that 9 out of 10 low-income families have access to the internet and that approximately 25% of respondents living below the median income and use only their smartphones to access the internet. In addition, an article appearing in Psychology Today also reported that a University of Chicago study revealed that 73% of a cross-sectional representation of U.S. teens reported having a smartphone.
From the research provided by Pew Research, the University of Chicago, and Business Insider polls, the top five applications were clearly distinguished in popularity specifically meeting the criteria for the low to middle-income teen group.
Research across credible sources, such as Business Insider, Lifewire, and Quartz also revealed the similarities in social media use across income demographics, stating that teenagers use these apps to primarily communicate with their friends, stay up-to-date with pop culture, identity verification, and to bolster their self-esteem, which are critical functions to teenage development.
The finding along with four credible statistic sites based on research studies from Pew Research, the University of Chicago, Business Insider polls, and Opportunity for All's report, qualified Tumblr, Musical.ly, and WhatsApp among the next most popular apps among teens.
In order to determine the popularity of the remaining apps, cross-corroboration between a report performed by Business Insider and another published in Educational Marketing Group qualified Spotify as another music and social media mix app popular among teenagers.
For the information on market share by spend for the 14 to 18-year-old low to middle-income high school students, we initially searched through each company’s financial reports and press releases. Since the information was not found, we switched gears to looking for any relevant data in other market share reporting agencies like Markets to Markets, Market Watch, and Bloomberg. But despite our best efforts, we were not able to find any publicly available information. Therefore, to quantify the selection, we utilized the criteria of market penetration. Furthermore, we also based the selection on usage percentage that justifies its popularity among teens falling under the preferred criteria.