The concept of social media’s impending doom is not new, with an article in the New York Times Magazine proclaiming a “Facebook Exodus” as far back as 2009.
However, this claim was quickly proven inaccurate, with Facebook’s user base increasing by a factor of ten since then, now boasting over 3 billion monthly active users.
A Recurring Theme
Fast forward to the present day, and we’re still seeing headlines declaring the death of social media.
However, these articles often disregard accuracy and representativeness in their reporting.
For instance, a recent article in The Atlantic declared “Instagram is Over”, citing a conversation between two friends on a subway ride as evidence 🚂.
This, despite Instagram’s user base reaching 2 billion monthly active users, with ad reach increasing by over 19% in recent months.
Correcting Misconceptions
It’s essential to acknowledge that social media is not without its challenges, particularly regarding mental health and emotional wellbeing.
However, it’s also crucial to weigh these concerns against the benefits of social media.
To provide an objective response to those questioning social media’s relevance, we’ll delve into the latest statistics.
5 Billion Social Media Users
The latest data indicates that there are now over 5 billion active social media user identities around the world.
While this figure may not represent unique individuals due to duplicate and false accounts, it’s still a significant number.
Our analysis suggests that active social media user identities equate to 62.3% of the world’s total population.
Share of Internet Users
Furthermore, our analysis of platforms’ own data indicates that 94.2% of internet users visit and use social platforms every month.
This figure is higher in countries with more advanced economies, where social media use amongst adults likely exceeds 90%.
Social Media Users Continue to Grow
The growth rate of social media users is another key metric that debunks the “social media is dying” narrative.
Our analysis shows that active social media user identities increased by 5.6% over the past year, with 266 million users joining social media in 2023.
This translates to an average of 8.4 users starting to use social media every second.
Time Spent Using Social Media
While the average time spent using social media has decreased by 8 minutes compared to last year, it’s essential to consider the methodology changes that may have contributed to this decline.
The average time spent using social media remains relatively stable, with no evidence of a sustained decline.
Use of Social Media by Age
Another common misconception is that younger people are abandoning social media.
However, research suggests that “Gen Z” and “Gen Alpha” internet users are still the heaviest users of social media, across various metrics.
For instance, people in this age group spend more time on social media than any other, and social media accounts for a greater share of their online time than it does amongst users in any other age group.
Admittedly, Facebook is Not Dying
Despite the trope that “Facebook is dying”, Meta’s own data suggests that Facebook’s user base is now the largest it’s ever been, with a 3.1% increase in monthly active users between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023.
The company’s ad reach also increased over the past year, with a 10.5% year-on-year increase.
Third-Party Perspectives
Third-party data from companies like data.ai Intelligence, Similarweb, and Semrush corroborate the fact that Facebook is not dying.
For instance, data.ai’s analysis reveals that active users of Facebook’s mobile app increased by roughly 2% between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023.
Similarly, Similarweb’s data shows that Facebook.com is still the third most visited domain on the web, with the platform’s website attracting an average of 1.15 billion unique visitors per month during 2023.
Social Media Favourites
Finally, GWI’s survey data offers insights into platform affinity.
While Instagram is the world’s “favourite” social media platform, with 16.5% of working-age internet users choosing the platform above all others, Facebook still ranks high, tying with WeChat on 12.8%.
And when it comes to older users, Facebook is significantly more likely to be preferred over TikTok.
In conclusion, the data tells a different story than the “social media is dying” narrative.
While there are certainly trends to keep an eye on, there’s no evidence to suggest that social media is anywhere close to dying.
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