There have been some struggles for X, the social network previously known as Twitter, as it faces a decline in user interest. A recent American study revealed that X lost 30% of its users between 2023 and 2024.
The latest Edison Research “Infinite Dial” report on digital media usage conducted in January 2024 among 1,086 Americans aged 12 and above found that internet users are showing less interest in using X as a social platform. In fact, only 19% of Americans surveyed currently use the platform in 2024, down from 27% in the previous year.
This drop in user numbers translates to an estimated loss of 22 million users. In 2023, X had 77 million users, but this number dropped to 55 million in 2024. This decline is a significant blow to the platform.
Despite X’s struggles, other social networks like Facebook continue to thrive. Facebook remains the most widely used social media platform in the United States, with around 63% of Americans over the age of 12 using it. Instagram comes in second at 44%, followed by TikTok at 35%. X currently ranks seventh behind other platforms like Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Snapchat.
When looking at different age groups, younger users between 12-34 years old tend to prefer Instagram and TikTok, while the older generation favors Facebook. X struggles to find a place among users of all generations, lagging behind in popularity among both young and older users.
Previous studies have also observed a slowdown in X’s growth. Apptopia reported a 13% decrease in daily active users since Elon Musk took over the platform. Similarly, SimilarWeb noted a 14% drop in web traffic for the social network.
The Edison Research report highlighted that 82% of the US population aged 12 and above, roughly 235 million people, currently use social media in 2024. Despite X’s struggles, social media remains a prevalent part of people’s daily lives.
