Live updates: Elon Musk takes over Twitter

For all of the attention paid to billionaire Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, there’s an aspect that is often overlooked: Not that many Americans use the social-media platform.

Pew Research Center, which tracks use of social-media platforms over time, estimated that less than a quarter of American adults used the platform in 2021 — beneath Facebook (nearly 7 in 10), Instagram (4 in 10) and about even with Snapchat (25 percent). It is a niche product, despite the company’s efforts, but one that nonetheless absorbs a lot of attention and commentary.