Average Time Spent On Social Media in 2024
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Social media has become deeply embedded in people’s lifestyles that it is difficult to imagine a world without it. As of April 2023, 59.9% of 4.8 billion global Internet users are active social media users.
Given the widespread use of social media, many users wonder how much time people spend in these communities. The relevance of keeping tabs on time spent on these platforms should be considered due to screen dependency and addition to social media.
As the social media landscape evolves swiftly, new features are launching periodically, and recent statistics are also showing. This article will discuss the leading social media platforms and usage statistics you should know in 2023.
Editor’s Choice
- 2 hours and 27 mins is the average time spent on social media worldwide daily.
- By 2023, Facebook will have the most significant number of users, at 2.95 million.
- 99% of people use smartphones, while 1.2% use the desktop to navigate social media platforms.
- China has over 1.02 billion users, making it the country with the leading social media users worldwide.
Social Media Usage Statistics 2023
This 2023, social media users worldwide have reached a new record of 4.9 billion. The number is expected to reach approximately 5.85 billion users by 2027.
These users aren’t platform-exclusive; social media marketing strategies now need to consider the typical user has a presence on six or seven different networks monthly.
Average Time Spent on Social Media 2023
Time is a valuable resource. On average, users spend 145 minutes daily using social media. In a 73-year lifespan, the average individual will spend 5.7 years using social media platforms and websites at this rate.
The following carefully compiled list of social media statistics in 2023 provides an indispensable glimpse of the current social media landscape.
1. The average daily time on social media worldwide is 2 hours and 27 mins.
(Broadbandsearch)
An average social media user spends around 147 minutes browsing social media. The impact of these social networking sites causes an influx of screen usage and dependency on these platforms.
The time spent on social media increased since 2012, from 90 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes in 2023. Out of these time used, 49 minutes are spent on Instagram daily, while around people who use TikTok spend around 95 minutes on the app daily.
However, screen time varies per region, country, and platform: Here is a list of average time spent on social media worldwide.
- South America: 3 hr & 24 min
- Africa: 3 hr & 10 min
- Asia and Oceania: 2 hr & 16 min
- America North: 2 hr & 6 min
- Europe: 1 hr & 15 min
2. In 2023, Facebook has the most significant number of users, at 2.95 million.
(Demandsage)
Most social networks provide growth data based on the total number of active users instead of verified profiles. This data is also more relevant for evaluating actual use and geographic penetration.
As of 2023, the following summary lists the social media platform with the most monthly active users (MAUs).
| Social Media Platform | Number of Users |
| 2.95 billion | |
| Youtube | 2.56 billion |
| 2.5 billion | |
| 2 billion | |
| 1.26 billion | |
| Tik Tok | 1.2 billion |
| Facebook Messenger | 988 million |
| Douyin | 600 million |
| 574 million | |
| Sina Weibo | 573 million |
3. 99% of people use smartphones, while 1.32% use the desktop to navigate social media platforms.
(Forbes)
It’s not a surprise that most people access social media through their mobile devices, but the actual number may raise concerns. 99% of people use a tablet or smartphone to access social media.
At 1.32%, desktop social media consumers pale compared to their mobile counterparts. Mobile-centric social media strategies are essential due to the rising number of mobile users. Mobile platforms and apps also offer better app optimization than desktops, making smartphones the better device to browse social media.
However, the downside of using smartphones for social media may lead to identity fraud, with 16.7 million cases from mobile phone take overs from previous years.
4. China has over 1.02 billion users, making it the country with the leading social media users worldwide.
(Demandsage, Statista)
With 1,021.96 million users, China has the most social media users as of 2023. According to Statista, China will have 1.21 billion social media users by 2027.
Here are the top 10 social media users by country as of 2023.
| Country | Users as of 2023 | Predicted number of users by 2027 |
| China | 1,021.96 million | 1,212.38 million |
| India | 755.47 million | 1,177.5 million |
| USA | 302.25 million | 327.22 million |
| Indonesia | 217.53 million | 261.7 million |
| Brazil | 165.45 million | 188.35 million |
| Russia | 115.05 million | 126.37 million |
| Japan | 101.98 million | 113.03 million |
| Mexico | 98.21 million | 122.07 million |
| Philippines | 84.07 million | 92.68 million |
| Vietnam | 72.29 million | 81.63 million |
Out of these data, 3 in 10 adults who use social media also spend most of their time online, with 81% admit to being online daily.
Conclusion
Social media is more than just applications and platforms; it is a digital environment that radically transforms the marketing industry. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are the platforms where your brand can genuinely connect, engage, and expand its audience.
Using the aforementioned social media statistics for 2023 as a guide, users can further embrace social media’s evolution and observe how it is essential in unfolding a captivating strategic marketing approach.
