Facebook is over for teens - and Instagram and Twitter are the most popular social networks among American children
- Researchers found Instagram was first, Twitter second and Facebook third
- Apple found to be most popular tech brand
Teens have abandoned Facebook in favour of Instagram and Twitter, researchers have found.
A new survey by investment bank Piper Jaffray found that more than 9 out of 10 American teenagers regularly use social media.
It reveals Facebook's fall from grace has been sudden - from being used by 72% of teens in the spring to just 45% now.
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Facebook's fall from grace has been sudden - from being used by 72% of teens in the spring to just 45% now, while just 12% said they used Google+
In the survey, analysts examined how children's social media preferences have changed over the last six months.
Instagram has become even more popular, with 76 percent of teens currently saying they use it - up 7 percent since last spring.
Twitter ranked second, used by 59 percent of teens.
Facebook came in third.
Pinterest and Tumblr each claimed a little over 20 percent.
Another 20 percent of teens said they use 'other' social networks, not named in the survey but likely including some popular anonymous messaging services and the disappearing-message app Snapchat.
Apple remains the top consumer electronics brand for teens, according to the annual fall survey of 7,200 teens, conducted in classrooms and electronically.
Kevin Systrom, Instagram Chief Executive Officer and co-founder: The firm has now overtaken its owner, Facebook, in the teen market
About 67 percent own iPhones (up from 61 percent in the spring), with an even greater number (73 percent) saying their next device will be an iPhone.
However, response to the Apple Watch remains, in the words of Piper Jaffray technology analyst Gene Munster, 'tepid', according to Re/Code.
Only seven percent of teens said they already own a smartwatch — and just 16 percent would be interested in shelling out $350 to buy the Apple Watch.
'The concept of wearing a watch for teenagers is foreign — and I think that's part of what is reflected in that response,' said Munster.
'The second piece is, it's still something that people need to hear more about, beyond what Apple has to say about it, before people get interested in it.'
something to think about: Facebook is nolonger the most popular social network among teens - although luckily it does own Instagram, which pipped it to the post
Researchers also analysed wider teen habits.
'Our fall 2014 survey results indicate teens continue to diversify their tastes through discovery of emerging brands and multi-brand experimentation, even as their views of the economy worsen,' said Steph Wissink, co-director of research and senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray.
'We also observe trends that indicate teens use social media, mainly Instagram, to create their own unique personal brands and seek peer affirmation.
'Millennials continue to be early adopters of change who use technology to engage with brands 'on demand' on their own time.'
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