More than 60 percent of the world’s population, or nearly five billion people, are active on social media, a new study has shown.
According to digital advisory firm Kepios, this figure represents an increase of 3.7 percent compared to the previous year.
The number of social network users is approaching the number that uses the Internet at 5.19 billion, or 64.5 percent of the world population.
Moreover, the report said that social media usage varies widely by region. In East and Central Africa, only one person out of 11 uses social media, while in India, only one out of three does.
The amount of time spent on social media has also increased, rising by two minutes per day to two hours and 26 minutes.
Brazilians spend an average of three hours and 49 minutes per day on social media while the Japanese spend less than an hour.
The average social media user is on seven platforms.
With WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, Meta has three favorite apps. WeChat, TikTok, and its local version Douyin are the three most popular apps in China. The top social media platforms are completed by Twitter, Messenger, and Telegram, according to the report.
Meanwhile, the US Precise Advertiser Report: Kids (PARK) showed that about 9 out of 10 kids under 12 in the US access content on YouTube versus 4 in 10 for TikTok, despite the incredible popularity of TikTok.
When queried about their most recent content consumption, 86 percent cited YouTube, followed by 63 percent who said video on demand, 50 percent who said gaming, and 38 percent who said TikTok. Half of the kids who watch YouTube are aware of YouTube Shorts, with a fifth having seen YouTube Shorts Ads while watching.
