Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. It connects us with friends and family, provides entertainment, and keeps us informed about the world around us.
Published On
October 1, 2023
Reviewed By Dr. Gall, Medical Director of Mainspring Recovery
Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives. It connects us with friends and family, provides entertainment, and keeps us informed about the world around us. However, for some people, social media use can become addictive. Here are 47 statistics related to social media addiction:
Top 10 Key Social Media Addiction Statistics
1 in 5 people worldwide are addicted to social media, according to a study by GlobalWebIndex.
The average person spends 2 hours and 24 minutes per day on social media platforms. This amounts to approximately 16 hours per week or 32 days per year.
Teenagers spend an average of 9 hours each day using social media, which is more time than they spend sleeping or studying.
Social media addiction can lead to a decrease in productivity, with one study finding that employees who use social media at work waste an average of 1.5 hours per day.
According to a survey by the Royal Society for Public Health, Instagram is the most harmful social media platform for mental health, followed closely by Snapchat.
Approximately 3.48 billion people worldwide use social media, which is roughly 45% of the world's population. (Statista)
The average person spends 2 hours and 24 minutes per day on social media. (GlobalWebIndex)
70% of social media usage takes place on mobile devices. (comScore)
Social media use increases by 13% during major events, such as the Super Bowl or the Academy Awards. (Salesforce)
88% of 18- to 29-year-olds use social media. (Pew Research Center)
What are the Most Used Social Media Platforms?
Facebook - 2.8 billion monthly active users (Statista)
YouTube - 2.3 billion monthly active users (Statista)
WhatsApp - 2 billion monthly active users (Statista)
Instagram - 1.3 billion monthly active users (Hootsuite)
TikTok - 732 million monthly active users (Influencer Marketing Hub)
Social Media Usage by Gender
Source: Statista
Women are more likely than men to use Facebook and Instagram. In fact, 43% of women use Instagram, compared to just 31% of men. (Pew Research Center)
On the other hand, men are more likely than women to use YouTube and LinkedIn. Approximately 78% of men use YouTube, compared to 68% of women. (Pew Research Center)
Women also tend to use social media more frequently than men do. According to a survey by Pew Research Center, women check their social media accounts several times per day at higher rates than men do.
However, men spend more time on social media platforms overall. One study found that while women tend to check their accounts more frequently throughout the day, men spend longer periods of time on each individual session.
Among teenagers, girls are more likely than boys to use Snapchat and Instagram. A survey by Common Sense Media found that 84% of girls aged 13-17 have an Instagram account, compared to just 64% of boys in the same age group.
Social Media Usage by Age
90.4% of Millennials (ages 25-34) use social media, making them the generation with the highest usage rate. (Pew Research Center)
Generation Z (ages 18-24) spends an average of 3 hours and 38 minutes per day on social media platforms, which is more than any other age group. (GlobalWebIndex)
Baby Boomers (ages 55-73) are the least likely to use social media, with only 48% reporting that they use it regularly. (Pew Research Center)
Among adults aged 18-29, Snapchat is the most popular social media platform, with usage rates of around 78%. Instagram follows closely behind at around 71%. (Pew Research Center)
The majority of Facebook users are over the age of 35, with approximately two-thirds of all users falling into this age range. (Pew Research Center)
TikTok has experienced a surge in popularity among younger generations in recent years, with approximately one-third of its users being under the age of 18. (Statista)
Social media usage among seniors has increased dramatically in recent years, with approximately one-third of adults aged over 65 now using a social networking site regularly. (Pew Research Center)
Which Gender Uses Social Media More By Region?
In North America, women use social media slightly more than men, with a usage rate of 54% compared to 46%. (Statista)
In Europe, women and men have equal usage rate of 50% compared to 50%. (Statista)
In the Middle East and Africa, men have a higher social media usage rate than women, with rates of 63% and 57%, respectively. (We Are Social)
In Latin America, women are more likely to use social media than men, with a usage rate of 75% compared to 70%. (Statista)
In Asia Pacific, both men and women have high rates of social media usage, with rates of approximately 73% for both genders. (We Are Social)
Social Media Usage By Country
In the United States, approximately 69% of adults use social media. (Pew Research Center)
The UAE has a huge number of social media users compared to the rest of the world. 105.5% of all internet users in the UAE actively use and visit at least one social media website.
In India, there are approximately 350 million social media users, making it one of the largest markets for social media platforms in the world. (Statista)
Japan has a relatively low rate of social media usage compared to other developed countries, with only around 43% of its population using social media platforms regularly. (We Are Social)
Nigeria has one of the highest rates of social media usage in Africa, with approximately 28 million people using Facebook alone. (We Are Social)
How Much Time Do People Spend On Social Media?
Source: Search Logistics
The average TikTok user spends 52 minutes per day on the app. (Business of Apps)
In the United States, adults aged 18-24 spend an average of 3 hours and 16 minutes per day on social media platforms. (Statista)
Users between the ages of 25-34 spend the most time on Facebook, with an average of 41 minutes per day spent on the platform. (Sprout Social)
The average daily usage for Snapchat is around 30 minutes per day, with users spending a total of approximately 440 million hours each week on the app. (Snap Inc.)
According to a survey by GlobalWebIndex, approximately one-third of internet users report spending more than three hours per day using social media platforms.
How Many Social Media Accounts Does The Average Person Have?
The average person has 8-9 social media accounts, which is much more than in 2013, when each user had just 4-5 accounts on average.
Social Media Usage by Race
White adults are more likely to use social media than Black or Hispanic adults. Approximately 69% of white adults report using social media, compared to just 63% of Black adults and 61% of Hispanic adults. (Pew Research Center)
Among young people aged 18-24, Black and Hispanic individuals are more likely to use Instagram than white individuals. According to a survey by Pew Research Center, approximately 71% of Black individuals and 67% of Hispanic individuals in this age group use Instagram, compared to just 57% of white individuals.
Asian Americans are the most likely racial group to use LinkedIn, with approximately one-third reporting that they have a profile on the platform. (Pew Research Center)
According to a survey by Pew Research Center, approximately 47% of Native Americans use social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter.
The majority of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders use social media regularly, with usage rates approaching 80%. (We Are Social)
Social Media Addiction and Mental Health
Social media addiction can lead to symptoms similar to those of substance abuse, such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. (Psychology Today)
71% of people use social media during work hours, which can lead to decreased productivity and increased stress levels. (The Manifest)
Social media use has been linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts in teenagers. (Child Mind Institute)
63% of social media users reported feeling "disconnected" from the world around them after a few hours without access to social media. (American Psychological Association)
50% of people admit to checking their social media accounts during the night, which can disrupt sleep and lead to fatigue. (The Sleep Judge)
Social Media Addiction and Relationships
Social media addiction can lead to decreased face-to-face interaction and increased feelings of loneliness and isolation. (American Journal of Epidemiology)
The average person spends 6 years and 8 months of their life on social media, which can take away time from real-life relationships. (Hootsuite)
Couples who use social media more frequently are more likely to experience jealousy and conflict in their relationships. (Computers in Human Behavior)
1 in 3 people feel dissatisfied with their own lives after seeing other people's posts on social media. (The Independent)
56% of social media users say that social media has negatively impacted their relationships. (Pew Research Center)
Social Media Addiction and Productivity
Source: Search Logistics
Social media addiction can lead to decreased productivity in the workplace, costing companies billions of dollars each year. (The Balance)
47% of employees admit to using social media for personal reasons during work hours. (CareerBuilder)
The average person checks their phone 58 times per day, which can lead to frequent interruptions and decreased productivity. (RescueTime)
52% of social media users say that social media has negatively impacted their productivity. (Pew Research Center)
70% of employers have had to take disciplinary action against employees for social media misuse. (The Manifest)
Social Media Addiction Statistics Amongst Teenagers
Source: Search Logistics
Approximately 45% of teenagers report feeling overwhelmed by the amount of notifications they receive on social media platforms. (Pew Research Center)
A survey by Common Sense Media found that 50% of teenagers feel addicted to their mobile devices, with many reporting that they check their phones multiple times per hour.
According to a study by the Royal Society for Public Health, Instagram is the most detrimental social media platform for mental health and well-being among young people aged 14-24.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while social media can be a useful tool for staying connected and informed, it is important to be aware of the potential dangers of social media addiction. By monitoring our social media use and setting healthy boundaries, we can ensure that social media remains a positive aspect of our lives.
