In October 2024, Pew Research Center conducted a survey of teens ages 13-17 and their use of social media. That they should discover that most teens have a smartphone and use social media almost constantly wasn’t a surprise. Instead, what was surprising to me is that the platform they use the most by 90% is YouTube.

The use of YouTube did decline from 95% a couple of years earlier, though that can easily be explained by the meteoric rise of TikTok. With TikTok in limbo and potentially nearing extinction for U.S. audiences, it’s likely the 90% may increase again. But even if it doesn’t…90% is a LOT of teens on YouTube.

I think this is important for heart-centered professionals to keep in mind as you plan your social media strategy. YouTube has been around a while, but it is not solely the domain of middle to upper-aged people. It still holds strong use by younger people and far eclipses TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.

If you are offering any services of benefit to teens you may want to consider how you can begin engaging them on YouTube, because clearly it’s where they are hanging out.

Here is the graph provided by Pew:

You can read the full article here.

My friend Heather Pearce Campbell, owner of The Legal Website Warrior, just sent a reminder out to her followers that businesses need to comply with this new regulatory requirement. If your business was formed prior to 2024, this report needs to be filled out by January 1, 2025. Newly created businesses (anytime in 2024 or later) need to file their report within 90 days of formation. You only need to fill out this report once (unless there is a change in the benefit of ownership with your business.)

What is this report? Beginning in 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act requires that you file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) report with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). This act requires that businesses must disclose information about their owners to combat money laundering and other criminal activities.

Where to file? The report is filed with FinCEN, a bureau of the U. S. Department of the Treasury. You can go here to file your report. If you haven’t done so yet, please don’t put it off. The penalty fees for not filing can be quite hefty.

I’m so happy that Heather will be our guest expert in February 2025. She will be presenting Protect Your Assets: Bite-Sized Legal Basics for Brilliant Entrepreneurs and will have a special offer for Guide Garden members!

Featured image generated by AI.

YouTube Wins: Pew Research on Teens and Social Media

Have you filed your Beneficial Ownership Information Report yet?