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What Is Social Media?
Social media refers to a variety of technologies that facilitate the sharing of ideas and information among their users. From Facebook and Instagram to X platform (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, more than 4.7 billion people use social media, equal to roughly 60% of the world’s population. In early 2023, 94.8% of users accessed chat and messaging apps and websites, followed closely by social platforms, with 94.6% of users.
Social media platforms are often divided into six categories: social networking, social bookmarking, social news, media sharing, microblogging, and online forums.
These diverse platforms serve a vast range of purposes and user interests. Some appeal to hobbyists, others to people in their work lives. People use them to find others across the globe who share their political or other views. Entertainers use social media to engage with fans, politicians with voters, charities with donors. Governments often turn to social media to convey vital information during emergencies.
The Top 10 Social Media Platforms Worldwide
These were the most widely used social media providers as of January 2023, according to DataReportal:
- Facebook (2.96 billion users)
- YouTube (2.51 billion users)
- WhatsApp (2 billion users)
- Instagram (2 billion users)
- WeChat (1.31 billion users)
- TikTok (1.05 billion users)
- Facebook Messenger (931 million users)
- Douyin (715 million users)
- Telegram (700 million users)
- Snapchat (635 million users)
How Much Time Do People Spend on Social Media?
Internet users age 16 to 64 worldwide spent a daily average of 2 hours and 31 minutes on social media as of late 2022, according to DataReportal, which adds that “social media now accounts for its greatest ever share of total online time, with almost four in every 10 minutes spent online now attributable to social media activities.”
What Social Media Is Used for Today
Social media platforms are often divided into six categories: social networking, social bookmarking, social news, media sharing, microblogging, and online forums.
These diverse platforms serve a vast range of purposes and user interests. Some appeal to hobbyists, others to people in their work lives. People use them to find others across the globe who share their political or other views. Entertainers use social media to engage with fans, politicians with voters, charities with donors.