Facebook has plateaued, but it still has high daily views

In an analysis of social media use, the Pew Research Center reported Wednesday that messaging apps and new social networks are gaining popularity most quickly among American adults.

The Pew report found that 29 percent of American adults use messaging apps such as iMessage, Kik or WhatsApp. That trend held up across all ages of adults. Those between 18 and 29 years old were the heaviest messaging app users, with nearly half using messaging apps. But even among older users, these types of services have taken hold; nearly a quarter of adults 50 and older also use messaging apps.

"The emergence of messaging apps is noteworthy, as these communication tools serve different social needs than traditional online social networks," Maeve Duggan, a research associate at Pew Research Center, said in a statement. "The data also show how swiftly an already complex terrain of interaction is becoming more varied."

Newer social networking platforms achieved the most growth — namely Instagram and Pinterest, which have doubled their user bases since 2012, the study said.

More established sites recorded less growth. Facebook, for example, is still the most popular social media site in the United States. But its growth over the past year has been fairly flat, the study showed. Still, the site retains a commanding lead over other social media networks, and 72 percent of all American adults online have a Facebook account. (This spring, Pew reported that 71 percent of teens have accounts.)

Slowing user growth on older social media sites in the United States is a well-known phenomenon, at least for anyone who has been listening to the earnings calls of these companies over the past several years. In terms of user growth, some of these networks — such as Facebook — may be approaching their ceiling. That explains why so many sites are focusing on overseas growth, as well as on developing new services that keep users on their pages longer.

Yet, while Facebook may not be gaining users as quickly, it's still being used. The study said that the percentage of adults who check Facebook daily is holding steady at 70 percent; 62 percent check it more than once a day.

Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, also ranked high in user engagement, with Pew reporting that 59 percent of adults said they check it at least once a day. Only 38 percent of Twitter users said they check the site daily.