In the new world after a global pandemic, much has changed, including social media statistics. Lockdown orders and social distancing measures completely changed the way that we relate to each other, going from meeting up at a local bar or restaurant, to interacting with friends and family through social media and zoom calls.
This increase in using phones and computers to salvage some sort of social life has shown some interesting effects in a post-pandemic world. For better or for worse, if social media wasn’t a big part of our lives before COVID-19, it is now.
- During the pandemic, ad engagement increased by 15%
- More than 4.14 billion people are actively using social networks
- Over seven in ten marketers say social media marketing was effective for their business
- During the pandemic, almost nine in ten users reported using social media more
- 72% of respondents regularly use Facebook
- In 90% of the countries globally, Facebook is the leading social network
- In only a year, the use of memes has increased by 26%
- More than 210 million people worldwide suffer from social media addiction
Social Media Trends
In 2020, new consumer needs appeared with the increase in social network usage. People are now, more than ever, using and engaging in social media platforms for communicating, watching, creating, and sharing with the networks of people they know, and don’t know. As a result, new trends are emerging about the modern, post-covid consumer.
1. The number of views of Instagram videos increased by 70% in just one month.
(Oberlo)
According to social media use statistics, from February to March 2020, Instagram video views increased by 70% in just that one month. Notably, videos are becoming a prevalent part of social media for viewers, content creators, and advertisers alike. The latest trends show that it pays to make videos on Instagram, with 55% of ad revenue on Instagram videos going to the creator.
2. 67% of respondents use email to communicate with brands.
(Drift, Heinz)
Social media data analyses point that more and more consumers are using social platforms to communicate directly with brands, and 45% of examinees prefer to use live chat. Users appreciate high responsiveness and helpful tone when communicating with businesses, making social media engagement important to many companies.
3. Ad engagement increased by 15% during COVID-19.
(Marketing Dive)
As a way to cope with boredom and staying at home many people have turned to their mobile screens since the worldwide lockdown happened. Increased usage has directly correlated to increased ad engagement, with women being the most likely to engage.
How Many People Use Social Media
The number of social media users is steadily rising, and it looks like it’s going to stay that way. Additionally, the average person has a lot more social media accounts than ever before. Cross-platform use and sharing are becoming a normal part of internet life, with Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube ranking in the top three.
4. Over 4.14 billion people are actively using social networks.
(DataReportal)
Recent stats on social media show that up to 53% of the global population is currently using social networks, and it continues to increase.
Over 450 million people joined social platforms from October 2019 to October 2020, which is a 12.3% growth in the number of new users compared to the previous year. Notably, 2 million people join social media every single day.
5. According to social network stats, an average user has 8.6 social media accounts.
(Backlinko)
There are various social platforms that range in popularity. From dating apps to Facebook to playing Second Life, people join social media for many different reasons. Over the last seven years, the average number of social media accounts has doubled. Today, India is the world leader, with 10.3 social media accounts per individual.
Social Media Marketing Statistics
With the rise in social media usage, so does the drive to take advantage of this sophisticated marketing tool. With people spending almost 15% of their day on platforms, marketers and businesses are keen to take advantage of the attentive audience.
6. 73% of marketers say social media marketing was effective for their business.
(Buffer)
Almost half of the surveyed marketers classified this type of marketing as ‘Somewhat effective’ for their business in recent statistics about social media. That being said, 29.6% of respondents labeled social media for advertising as ‘very effective.’ That means that up to 73% of marketers have found social media marketing benefits for their business, one way or another.
Still, it isn’t just about activating your business on social networks. It’s about finding your target group and creating engaging content. One of the growing social media trends is influencer marketing. The study indicates that 49% of consumers rely on influencer recommendations on social media platforms for what to buy.
7. One in three users is frustrated by unresponsive brands.
(Smart Insights)
User engagement is primary for any advertising campaign, and social media is no different. Due to evolving consumer expectations, brand marketers need to be responsive to their followers.
Facts about social media indicate that one in three users gets frustrated by websites that are hard to handle or brands that aren’t cooperative and responsive. Other things that users find repulsive are monotonous online forms and lack of service outside of working hours.
8. Nine out of ten users will support a brand with unique social media content.
(Stackla)
Creating compelling and engaging social media content is an ever adaptive skill. Social media stats show that nine out of ten users assert that authenticity is a significant factor when choosing which brand to support.
There is a discord between what businesses think is unique and what users engage with, however. More than 90% of brands believe they create truly original content, while 51% of consumers claim that most brands on social media don’t have authentic material.
9. 47% of consumers expect brands to take a public stand on social media.
(Sprout Social)
One of the biggest social media trends for 2020 is that consumers expect brands to take a public stance on social media regarding important topics. Notably, 55% of them claim they would disregard a brand whose point of view they disagree with, while 53% of them believe that companies take public stands simply to sell more products. Regardless, the modern consumer is becoming increasingly conscientious and expects businesses to be the same.
Social Media Usage Statistics
The pandemic has changed the way we use technology, and smartphones and social media are a major component in that change. The prevalence of social media usage has drastically increased since COVID-19, and as a result, is a much bigger part of people’s lives.
10. 88.1% of users reported using social media more during the pandemic.
(Oberlo)
Only 12% of people reported that they didn’t turn to social media as a way to kill time and stay more connected with family and friends during the coronavirus lockdown measures. Social media addiction statistics indicate, however, that as social distancing and quarantine measures continue to phase in and out, the increase of social media usage may very well become a new normal.
11. An average user spends 2.5 hours on social media daily.
(DataReportal)
Out of 6 hours and 55 minutes spent online every day, an average user spends nearly a third of that time on social media: 2 hours and 29 minutes, to be exact. Social media facts show this now compares with television. People watch TV for 3 hours and 29 minutes each day on average and listen to streaming platforms for 1 hour and 39 minutes, making social media the world’s second favorite activity.
12. 72% of USA respondents regularly use Facebook as their primary social media platform.
(MessengerPeople)
Even though Facebook might seem outdated to Gen Z, social media statistics worldwide show that most still like this platform. 65% of US citizens use media sharing platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, or YouTube. On the other hand, for global messaging applications, WhatsApp comes first, followed by Facebook Messenger. Still, in the USA, Facebook Messenger takes the lead, Snapchat takes second place, and WhatsApp ranks third.
13. The use of memes has increased by 26% in just a year.
(Talkwalker)
With the increased time spent on social media during lockdown, a popular internet trend also increased. Meme usage increased by 26% from August 2019 to July 2020, peaking during lockdown in April 2020. An interesting fact about social media users and memes is that 55% of social media users aged 13 to 35 use and exchange memes weekly. The ‘meme industry’ is a massive trend that seems to be ever-expansive.
14. Nine out of ten respondents use social media to connect with their colleagues.
(DataReportal)
Even though millennials are very active on social media, they don’t practice using it for communicating with colleagues. On the other hand, social networking statistics found that people who belong to the so-called Gen Z (born after 1995) are more likely to use social platforms for business purposes.
Statistics reveal that nine out of ten respondents younger than 25 use these platforms every week for business communication. Comparatively, 68.7% to 79.2% of people from 25-34 years old (millennials) use social platforms exclusively for socialization and entertainment.
Social Media Usage Statistics by Country
Social media is a global phenomenon, and these days, it’s hard to find someone who isn’t on a social platform. The way individuals use social, however, varies depending on the country. From the amount of time spent daily to how many citizens have an account, social media is influenced by where you live.
15. China is the biggest social media market in the world.
(Statista)
China accounted for almost a billion of the world’s social media users in 2020, and India is a far-off second with 350 million users. The United States is the country with the third most social media users, stats indicate, with 223 million reported in 2020.
16. 99% of people in the UAE use social media.
(Statista)
Even though China counts as the biggest social media market, the UAE leads for the number of citizens who have an account. Only 1% of the UAE population isn’t using social media. On the contrary, countries with the lowest number of users are Nigeria and Kenya, and the correlation between a country’s economic status and the percentage of social media users has been established.
(Vincos)
Facebook was a major innovator in developing the way we think of and use social media, and as such, it still dominates the globe for the number of active users. Apart from Russia, which uses a platform called VKontakte, and China that uses a platform called QZone, Facebook is number one in the world, with 60.6% of all internet users using the platform and more than 2.7 billion active users.
Negative Social Media Statistics
Especially during unprecedented times, there have been many benefits to social media. As one of the only ways to stay connected to friends and family during quarantine, many report the benefits of these platforms have had on their lives. There is a dark side to social media, however, as many people also report feeling addicted to using it.
18. Over 210 million people across the globe suffer from social media addiction.
(Mediakix)
Social media use stats reveal that young and single females are the most likely to be addicted to social media. The link between depression and mobile use is accentuated by this, with females reporting depressive symptoms 58% more than males.
Anxiety and sleep deprivation are additional indicators of social media addiction. Notably, sleeping disorders are more common in teens, with 10% reporting that they check their phone more than ten times a night.
Recent social media user stats show that 71% of people sleep with their phone or have it close to them, and with 45% of users checking their social media during the night instead of sleeping, sleep disturbance due to social media use is becoming an increasingly serious issue.
19. One-third of divorces are caused by social media use.
(McKinleyIrvin)
There are several reasons why social media has appeared as a major reason some people choose to get divorced. Besides the negative impacts of any addiction, such as anti-social behavior, neglecting loved ones, and general life dissatisfaction, social media addiction facts show additional adverse effects.
Notably, someone’s social media has become quite a private affair, with one-third of married people keeping their password from their partner. 30% of Tinder users are currently married, and 25% of married couples say they fight about something they saw their partner do on social media at least twice a week.
20. Addicted teens can spend up to nine hours on social platforms daily.
(MentalUP)
Social media usage statistics by age show that many teens spend more than a regular daily working shift on social networks. This concern can be concerning considering reports that state spending five or more hours on social media a day can lead to depression. Teens using social media are also more likely to experience cyberbullying and harassment, and 67% of teens claim they know how to hide specific content from their parents.
Conclusion
With the rise of a new decade and a new normal, social media is becoming one of the most used social technologies in the world. Social media statistics show that from sharing pictures of food to creating influencer videos and promoting brand awareness, people are spending more time than ever on this internet activity.
With all the benefits of social media, so too are there pitfalls. Many people report feeling addicted to it, and others experience mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and body image issues as a consequence of it. Either way, new platforms arrive every day, creating new social media trends that change the way we think, talk, and interact with one another.
People Also Ask
As of last year, 49% of the global population uses social media, and there are over 4.14 billion users worldwide. Not only that, but 88.1% of users have reported using these platforms even more during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Facebook is the most popular social media in 2020 worldwide, excluding such as Russia and China. An incredible 2.45 million users are currently on the network, making up 60.6% of all internet users. The second most favored social network in the world is YouTube, while WhatsApp comes as the third.
The average person has 8.6 social media accounts. Still, research results can slightly differ from one country to another. For example, an average social platform user from India has 10.3 accounts, and in the last seven years, the number of accounts per person has doubled and continues to rise.
There is no straight answer. Like any other activity, too much of anything can be a bad thing. Social media has proved to be a very useful tool for maintaining social ties, especially in modern circumstances where social distancing is enforced.
Studies show, however, that it can have a negative mental health impact, especially on youth, and that these negative outcomes are correlated with how much someone uses the platform. Like many other things, social media can be addictive, and it’s important to remain aware of how and why something gets used.
Social networks can become of great use for students if used properly. In particular, Generation Z is the most likely generation to use social media for not only socializing but business activities as well.
Negatively, there are many youth studies that report negative impacts on young people using this technology. From cyberbullying and harassment to poor social skills to depression and anxiety, social media statistics show that students should use social media in moderation to avoid the likelihood of experiencing negative side effects.
