The line graph compares the proportions of online adults in the United States who utilized five different social media platforms – Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter from 2012 to 2015.
Overall, Facebook was consistently the most dominant platform by a wide margin throughout the entire period. Furthermore, all five social media networks experienced an upward trend in their user base over the four-year timeframe, with Instagram showing the most rapid growth.
In 2012, Facebook stood at the top with 67% of online adults using it. This figure climbed steadily over the next three years, peaking at 72% in 2015. Pinterest began at 15% in 2012 and grew consistently to finish as the second most popular platform at 31% by 2015. Instagram started at the lowest position with just 12% in 2012 but experienced a sharp surge, more than doubling its share to finish at 28% in 2015.
LinkedIn started at 20% in 2012, rose to a peak of roughly 27% in 2014, and then experienced a minor decline to 25% in 2015. Similarly, Twitter began at 16% in 2012, increased steadily to reach 23% in 2014, and then leveled off, remaining unchanged at 23% in the final year.