TikTok has become the leading social platform for news among young Americans, according to new data from the Pew Research Center. The app, which previously lagged behind YouTube and Instagram, now ranks first among 18- to 29-year-olds in the US.
In 2025, 43% of young adults said they regularly get news from TikTok, surpassing YouTube and Facebook at 41% and Instagram at 40%. X and Reddit trailed far behind. Pew’s survey also found that social media now outpaces all other formats for news among this age group, with 76% saying they often or sometimes rely on social platforms for news.
TikTok’s growth has been fueled by a mix of independent news creators, user-generated reporting from real-world events, and new features for publishers, including in-video article links and community fact-checking tools. Many young users say they trust news creators who feel more authentic and relatable than traditional outlets, helping TikTok overtake its social media rivals as the primary news source for Gen Z.