The social media ecosystem is full of apps that encourage socialization, business, education, and more. Every day, it seems like more and more of the real world gains a digital reflection on social media. Social media use can affect our mental and physical health, connect us with people worldwide, and help us pursue our dreams. It’s full of contradictions, oddities, moments of joy and despair. It’s probably the most significant technological advancement in the modern era in terms of its impact on our daily lives. These facts will help us understand how we engage with social media and the extent of its effects on society.
8 Social Media Facts
1. YouTube and Facebook are the most commonly used social media platforms in the United States. (Source)
YouTube is an endless library of videos, music, and livestreams. Its popularity and power rivals the most successful streaming services. Facebook was the original way to connect with people online and build a digital social circle. While it has many competitors today, its long legacy has helped it retain users across generational divides.
2. 4.8 billion people use social media worldwide. (Source)
That’s about 59.9% of the population, so we have reached a point where the majority of people use social media. Many people who don’t use social media face barriers to accessing the Internet.
3. The average teen spends about 9 hours a day on social media. (Source)
While this can have social, educational, and business benefits, many studies show that teens spend too much time on social media, to the detriment of their health and development.
4. Anxiety and depression rates in young people have risen by 70% in the past 25 years. (Source)
Social media is one of the likely culprits of this rise. It introduces cyberbullying and increases feelings of social isolation, jealousy, and negative comparisons to peers.
5. Instagram has over 1.3 billion active monthly users. (Source)
This app is a powerful tool, popular among people aged 25 to 30. Businesses consider it a branding powerhouse as 90% of users follow at least one business on the platform and 81% say Instagram helps them research products and services.
6. The average social media app has a 24-month customer churn rate of 93.3%. (Source)
While brands can use the biggest platforms to their advantage, it seems that social media apps themselves struggle to retain users for more than two years. This could be due to the rise of a new, more exciting app or users having a negative interaction with the app.
7. Extended use of social media can lead to physical injuries. (Source)
These injuries include joint inflammation, tech neck, vision damage, and gamer’s thumb.
8. 36% of TikTok users are between 18 and 24 years old. (Source)
TikTok is known as Gen Z’s preferred app. Its rapid-fire, short-form content delivered through personalized algorithms has a strong, addictive appeal, particularly among younger people. In 2023, 232 million people downloaded the TikTok app.
Featured image photo credit: Bastian Riccardi
