Report · Culture

One to three hours a day is the most common social media estimate

Reading

A majority of Americans (54%) estimate they spend one to three hours a day on social media, according to a Verasight survey of 504 U.S. adults conducted May 11, 2026.

About a quarter (23%) put their daily use at four to six hours, and 15% at under an hour; heavier use is rare, with 4% estimating seven to ten hours and 4% more than ten.

Topline

single choice

Topline distribution

One to three hours a day is the most common social media estimate.

On average, how many hours do you think you spend on social media per day? (EX. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, etc.)

  • 1-3 hours per day 54.1%
  • 4-6 hours per day 22.6%
  • Zero or less than one hour per day 15.0%
  • 7-10 hours per day 4.2%
  • More than 10 hours per day 4.1%

2026 · base n 504 · +/- 4.6%

beliefs

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Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
Base (unweighted)
504
Margin of error
+/- 4.6%
Module
beliefs

Source

Citation

Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=504 US adults age 18+, +/- 4.6%.

https://reports.verasight.io/r/spsp26

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. When a wave report is published, its field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io. Verified legacy reports remain on their original hosts, and unpublished reports are marked pending.
Transparency
Verasight is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research Transparency Initiative.

The canonical report hub is reports.verasight.io; older reports may remain on verified legacy hosts.