Public networks: TikTok has lost its leadership in the top of popular teen resources
TikTok lost its leadership in the top of the most popular social networks for teenagers, losing the primacy to Telegram with an audience of 6.9 million people. VKontakte came in third place, Likee came in fourth, and Odnoklassniki, which had not previously been popular with young people, came in fifth. Such data for February was presented to Izvestia in Mediascope. Instagram (owned by Meta, a company recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) and Snapchat dropped out of the top altogether.
How the top popular social networks among teenagers have changed
In Russia, teenagers aged 12-17 have changed their preference for social networks: if in February 2022, according to Mediascope, TikTok led the top 5 resources in terms of average daily audience, then in February this year it moved to second place, and Telegram took the first place with an audience of 6.9 million people against 3.6 million in February. 2022. TikTok's audience in February was 5.8 million people. VKontakte took the third place with an audience of 5.2 million people, Likee took the fourth place and Odnoklassniki took the fifth. Instagram and Snapchat dropped out of the top 5 altogether.
In general, in February 2025, teenagers spent slightly less than half (43%) of their total time online on social networks, including Telegram. The study took into account visits to Internet resources from desktop computers and mobile devices among Russians aged 12-17.
The most popular blog topics are unpacking products and life hacks, videos about the ordinary lives of peers, and reactions/reviews to movies or games. Boys like to watch myth—checking and deception or fake exposures more than girls, while girls like cooking and beauty blogs.
Teenagers from major Russian cities took part in the survey, and more than 1,500 online interviews were conducted.
What did the teenagers find interesting about the new sites?
Changing teenagers' preferences is a logical consequence of several factors at once: Telegram is actively developing not just as a messenger, but as a universal platform. There are already channels, chats, games, bots, videos, short formats — everything that a young audience loves, said Yulia Zagitova, founder of Breaking Trends, secretary of the Union of Journalists of Russia.
— At the same time, Telegram is also a "parent—free space", unlike VKontakte or Odnoklassniki, where many adults have settled for a long time. Teenagers are always looking for their territory, and now Telegram has closed this niche," the expert said.
According to her, it's not just about changing tastes, but also about changing tools. If TikTok used to be the main window into visual content, now you can watch short videos on both Telegram and Likee. In addition, Telegram quickly picks up trends and does not limit authors to strict algorithms — this adds a sense of freedom, and this is important for teenagers, she noted.
— The appearance of "Classmates" in the top really sounds unexpected. But it's important to understand here: this social network has become a platform for gamified content, challenges, short videos, and streams, especially in the regions. For many teenagers, the app is on their phone just out of habit — as a "standby network" where you can find something interesting, explained Yulia Zagitova.
In addition, the impact of sanctions restrictions and blockages should be taken into account in this story, she recalled. When familiar platforms like Instagram and Snapchat become less accessible, teenagers (like everyone else) simply find convenient replacements.
According to Andrey Afanasyev, chairman of the Family Information Security Committee of the Parents' Chamber Union, the transfer of children to Odnoklassniki is a good trend, because it is one of the safest social networks.
According to him, the popularity of Telegram is worrying because it has become an absolutely legalized darknet, in fact, which deletes absolutely nothing. If the child's VK account is visible, for example, what he is subscribed to and what music he listens to, then there is no such thing in Telegram, the expert emphasized.
The change in teenagers' preferences in choosing social networks reflects not only the evolution of digital platforms, but also the importance of information security, which Russians have begun to think about, said State Duma Deputy Anton Nemkin.
— Western social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat pose a threat to Russian users, as the data shared by citizens can be processed and transferred to foreign organizations. This creates risks of leakage of personal information and potential influence on the consciousness of young people through algorithmically selected content," the parliamentarian said.
The algorithms of Western platforms mostly adapt to the political agenda of their countries, which can contribute to the spread of destructive ideas among teenagers. The content published on such networks often forms a distorted view of reality, promoting alien cultural and social attitudes, the deputy concluded.
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