Around three quarters ( 76%) of US teens now use Instagram, while 59% use Twitter and 45% use Facebook, according to a bi-annual survey of 7,200 teens (with an average age of 16 ), carried out by investment bank Piper Jaffray.

The study also noted that 38% of US teenagers believe that Instagram is a favourable marketing channel to reach them; 34% feel the same about Twitter and 21% about Facebook.

“Our fall 2014 survey results indicate teens continue to diversify their tastes through discovery of emerging brands and multi-brand experimentation, even as their views of the economy worsen,” said Steph Wissink, co-director of research and senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray.

“We also observe trends that indicate teens use social media, mainly Instagram, to create their own unique personal brands and seek peer affirmation. Millennials continue to be early adopters of change who use technology to engage with brands ‘on demand’ on their own time.”