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Globalwebindex's Flagship Report on the Latest Trends in Social Media Social GlobalWebIndex’s flagship report on the latest trends in social media FLAGSHIP REPORT 2020 globalwebindex.com What's inside? 03 Introduction 04 Key insights 05 Social media engagement 11 The social media landscape 13 Social media behaviors 15 Social entertainment 21 Notes on methodology 23 More from GlobalWebIndex SOCIAL Introduction METHODOLOGY GlobalWebIndex Social Media flagship report provides All figures in this report are drawn from GlobalWebIndex’s version of this survey via mobile, hence the sample sizes the most important insights on the world of social media, online research among internet users aged 16-64. We only presented in the charts throughout this report may differ as from the very latest figures for social media engagement interview respondents aged 16-64 and our figures are some will include all respondents and others will include only to the key trends within the social space and a representative of the online populations of each market, not its respondents who completed GlobalWebIndex’s Core survey via comprehensive view of which social platforms are most total population. Note that in many markets in Latin America, PC/laptop/tablet. popular. Among others, this report covers the following the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia Pacific region, low topics in detail: internet penetration rates can mean online populations are Throughout this report we refer to indexes. Indexes are used more young, urban, affluent and educated than the total to compare any given group against the average (1.00), which How much time per day are digital consumers population. unless otherwise stated refers to the global average. For 01 devoting to social media? example, an index of “1.20” means that a given group is 20% Each year, GlobalWebIndex interviews over 688,000 internet above the global average, and an index of “0.80” means that an How are the behaviors of social media users aged 16-64 via an online questionnaire for our Core audience is 20% below the global average. 02 users changing? dataset. A proportion of respondents complete a shorter How are consumers using social media to 03 engage with brands? globalwebindex.com 03 SOCIAL Key Insights 01 02 03 04 05 Social Entertaining, Facebook and The value of Shared experience saturation not connecting YouTube dominate TikTok through gaming Globally, digital consumers are now Entertainment now ranks as the third- Globally, Facebook remains the Just under half (44%) of TikTok In a custom survey run in the UK and spending an average of 2 hours and most important reason for using social dominant social platform by members outside of China fall into the U.S., we found that the third most 24 minutes per day on social networks media but showing the highest growth. membership. Outside of China, 16-24 age bracket and 80% are either common frustration with social media and messaging apps. A look at the 16-24s are the most likely audience to list Facebook is the most owned account, Gen Z or millennials, and they want it to is the lack of actual human connection, trended data here suggests that while “finding funny or entertaining content” with Youtube in a strong second place, stay this way. TikTok app users are 1.8x and among males this is actually the social media consumption continues to as a main reason they use social media, followed by Facebook Messenger which as likely as the average internet user to top frustration. Online games tend not creep upward, an increasing number of followed by using it to fill up spare time has a decent lead ahead of services like want brands to be “young”, as well as to have this disadvantage as they can markets are at a critical saturation point. and to stay up-to-date with news and WhatsApp, Instagram, and Twitter. If over-indexing for wanting brands to be foster a more authentic connection Compared to the previous year, in 2019 current events. To “keep in touch with we narrow our focus to people who “trendy/cool”, “exclusive”, and “bold”. through shared interest and skill. This time spent on social media has either friends” is consistently listed as a top have visited or used the service in Aside from its youthful user base, it’s a has meant the line between gaming decreased or stayed the same in 22 out reason for using social media across all the last month, YouTube rises to the useful platform for marketers as it allows organizations and social networks of the 46 markets we survey. age groups, but has gradually become top position. We also see WhatsApp them to partner with platform influencers has become increasingly blurred. a less powerful motivator for 16-24-year- overtake Facebook Messenger for to create striking and highly entertaining Cooperation and teamwork resonate olds. monthly visitation outside China. content. as motivators for playing games online across all demographic breaks, but particularly for our youngest gamers (16-24s), who are an audience looking to diversify and deepen their online relationships. globalwebindex.com 04 01 Social Social media engagement SOCIAL Social media and digital wellbeing SCREEN TIME TRACKING % who say they have used their mobile to track their screen time or set limits for certain apps Global average High/Heavy Social Networkers 27% 26% 23% 17% 11% 63% of global 29% 29% 27% 22% 17% internet users say that they are constantly connected online, up 16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 from 56% in 2015 The emergence of digital wellbeing tools, At every age bracket, high/heavy users of social networkers, it's those in the Middle East research, task, and product testing program which focus on helping individuals create social media – those who spend more than and Africa who are most likely to exhibit this that lets users earn money. Called “Viewpoints”, healthy attitudes and behaviors toward tech one hour per day on social platforms – are behavior, with 4 in 10 doing so. the new feature pays users for completing and social media around them, was a major more likely to have used a digital wellbeing wellbeing surveys and other “tasks”, essentially Question: Which of these have you done industry trend for 2019. Almost 1 in 4 of all tool. This finding is particularly prominent Tech giants are increasingly buying into the giving consumers a way to monetize their on your mobile in the global internet users have tracked their screen for our eldest consumers; the difference is idea of offering products and services that data (and level the playing field), while also last month? (Tracked time or set limits for certain apps in the past greatest between social networkers in older promote digital wellbeing and offer greater providing the company with useful data. your screen time or set limits for certain apps) month, rising highest among 16-34-year-olds. age brackets and their global counterparts of user control over data and privacy settings. Source: GlobalWebIndex the same age. Among this audience of heavy Facebook recently launched a new market Q2-Q3 2019 Base: 284,929 internet users aged 16-64 globalwebindex.com 06 SOCIAL Time spent on social media 97% of digital consumers have Globally, digital consumers are now spending the same or decreased. Many internet users Across the globe, 16-24s are devoting the used a social media network an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes per are now more aware of the time they spend most time per day to social media – just under day on social networks and messaging apps. looking at screens, and of the perceived three hours, on average. The importance of in the past month; being an A look at the trended data here suggests that negative effects associated with social media messaging apps to this demographic is a internet user means being a while social media consumption continues usage. As a result, many are wanting a digital key reason behind this, as is the centrality of social media user to creep upward, an increasing number of detox. This trend will likely continue into 2020 smartphones to their digital lives. Additionally, markets are at a critical saturation point. as well. In Q2 and Q3 2019, time spent on it's important to note that this consumption is social media has decreased or stayed the simultaneous rather than sequential; 7 in 10 of In 2018, we started to see time spent on social same compared to 2018 data in 22 out of the 16-24s say they use social media while they are media plateau across a handful of countries 46 markets we survey. watching TV. – where time spent online has either stayed DAILY TIME SPENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Average h:mm spent engaging with/connected to social networks/services during a typical day Asia Pacific 2:18 Europe Latin America 1:59 Middle East & Africa 1:24 Question: On an average North America day, how long do you 1:19 3:32 spend on social media? Source: GlobalWebIndex 2012-2019 (averages 2:40 of all waves conducted 3:10 between Q2 2012 and Q3 2019) Base: 61,196 (2012), 2:11 156,876 (2013), 168,045 (2014), 197,734 (2015), 1:21 1:58 211,023 (2016), 370,051 (2017), 474,573 (2018), 424,326 (2019) internet 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 users aged 16-64 globalwebindex.com 07 SOCIAL Time spent by market Younger groups are the most enthusiastic typically spending over 4 hours per day on about social media, and the internet social media. This is likely a result of their own populations of fast-growth markets tend to unique ecosystem of social platforms – home- be younger than most mature markets.
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