According to DataReportal's "Digital 2025" report, social media usage continues to grow. Research by Kepios indicates that there are now 5.24 billion active social media users worldwide, marking a 4.1% increase over the past year.
The rising popularity of social platforms is driven by various factors. The primary reason for using social media remains staying in touch with friends and family, but according to GWI, only 50.8% of users cite this as their main motivation. Filling spare time ranks second, explaining the widespread use of endless scrolling features. Additionally, 34.5% of users turn to social media to read news, highlighting its continued role as a key source of information.
Social media activity varies by age and gender. Women spend more time on social platforms than men, especially in younger age groups. For example, women aged 16–24 spend an average of nearly 3 hours per day on social media, which is 12 minutes less than two years ago. Men in the same age group have also reduced their daily usage by 12 minutes, maintaining a 25-minute gender gap.
Meanwhile, women aged 55–64 have increased their social media usage, adding an extra 6 minutes per day compared to two years ago. In contrast, men in this age group have reduced their average daily usage by 4 minutes. These shifts demonstrate that social media remains a crucial part of daily life for users of all ages, but the ways in which people engage with it continue to evolve.
image: datareportal.com