An increasing number of teenagers in the U.S. are ditching Facebook in favour of other social media platforms, such as Twitter, says a recent report.

The study, which was carried out by non-profit think tank Pew Research Center, saw most respondents cite an increasing adult presence on the network as the reason for turning to the alternatives. It also revealed that most young users are sharing more information on their social media profiles than ever before.

The Center’s Amanda Lenhart spoke about the teens’ decisions, saying:

“The key is that there are fewer adults, fewer parents and just simply less complexity. They still have their Facebook profiles, but they spend less time on them and move to places like Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.”

As well as parental observation, the teenagers complained to researchers about their friends sharing too much negativity and posting inane details, with dinner details and pet pictures causing particular annoyance.

According to the finding, 94% of teenage social network users have a Facebook profile, a figure showing no change from 2012. The number of teen Twitter users, however, more than doubled from 2011’s figure, and is now at 26%.

One respondent, Jaime Esquivel, 16, said that although he still accesses his profile every day, he doesn’t use the site as much as he used to. He explained how he had turned, instead, to photo-sharing site Instagram, saying he found too much complaining even on Twitter.

The behaviour shifts revealed in Pew Research Center’s findings should be watched closely by both marketers and business owners. While many brands already use Facebook – perhaps because of its dominance of the field – it’s becoming even more vital to have a balanced campaign when it comes to social media, especially where a younger target audience is concerned.

Graeme Parton

Graeme has experience creating content for online sources and for the radio, and at university he studied Multimedia Journalism.