Ever since 1997, social media has been slowly creeping into our lives. The outreach that it had back then was quite insignificant. However, nothing can be further from the truth nowadays. In this day and age, social media is nothing short of ubiquitous.
According to the latest research, 4.76 billion people (59% of the world’s population) use social media, while hundreds of millions exhibit some form of addictive behavior. Let’s delve into the latest social media addiction statistics and discover just how adverse they might be.
Top 10 Global Social Media Addiction Statistics
TikTok experienced the highest growth spike in recent years.
Over 59% of the world’s population is active on social media.
15% of US citizens aged 23 and 38 feel they’re completely addicted to social media.
Youtube is the most visited social media platform in the US.
A whopping 55% of drivers check their social media while in traffic.
Women use social media outlets more than men do.
When it comes to overall popularity, Facebook still reigns supreme.
Social media-related disagreements cause roughly 1 in 3 divorces.
A staggering 43% of teenagers feel blue if no one likes their posts.
Excessive exposure to social networks can cause sleep-related problems in young adults.
Global Social Media Addiction Facts and Stats
More than 59% of the global population is active on social media at the moment.
Around 4.76 billion people were active on social media in 2022. Stats on social media addiction showed the average user spent approximately 2 hours and 27 minutes daily on these platforms. Younger generations, especially teens and young adults, were more prone to excessive use of social media, spending upwards of seven hours on these websites daily.
(DataReportal)
Nearly one-third of American adults admit to being addicted to social media.
During a study, US citizens aged 18-64 were asked if the sentence “I’m addicted to social media” applies to them. Overall, 30% of those surveyed confirmed that they were somewhat addicted, while 9% admitted to being addicted completely.
(Statista)
Adults aged 23–38 are the most affected or most aware of their social media addiction.
Social media addiction statistics gathered during the research revealed the percentage of self-admitted addicts in this group was significantly higher than in other groups. 15% said they were completely and 37% somewhat addicted.
(Statista)
Estimates show that some 210 million people worldwide are addicted to social media.
Social media is addictive, and the research is here to back it up. 210 million people around the world display some sort of addiction to these platforms. Disturbingly enough, studies suggest that it’s only going to get worse as more and more people get hooked on social media. With this information in mind, it is safe to say that we’re becoming increasingly addicted to technology.
(Science Direct)
TikTok experienced the highest growth spike in recent years.
In 2022, TikTok ranked in the top six most-used social media platforms, overtaking Facebook’s Messenger with 1.05 billion active users. To put things into perspective, this is an impressive 142% YOY increase. When it comes to TikTok’s screen time averages—Americans spend 45.8 minutes on this app daily. However, social media addiction data reveals 16% of all teens use TikTok almost all the time.
(DataReportal, Pew Research)
Youtube is the most visited social media platform in the US.
Despite TikTok’s amazing growth, social media addiction facts reveal that 81.9% of Americans still prefer Youtube as their social media outlet. More than half of US internet users visit Youtube once a day, while 36% of them use it several times per day.
(Pew Research)
When it comes to overall popularity, Facebook still reigns supreme.
There have been talks about the downfall of Facebook since it has been losing popularity among younger generations. However, with over 2.93 billion active users in 2022, these statements couldn’t be farther from the truth. Statistics on social media addiction show that an average user spends about 33 minutes daily on this platform.
(Statista)
A whopping 55% of drivers check their social media while in traffic.
Hardly anything could be more dangerous than checking your social media or replying to messages while in traffic. Social media addiction stats reveal that the majority of participants (30%) in this study reported browsing Facebook while sitting behind the wheel. Drivers who exhibit such behavior are, without a doubt, a safety hazard and should do their best to overcome this type of media addiction.
(ShopOwnerMag)
Women use social media outlets more than men do.
Globally, women seem to be more addicted to social media than men are. Internet addiction statistics reveal women dominate social media use in all regions of the world except for Asia and most parts of Africa. In North America, the ratio is 54 to 46 in favor of women. Other facts about social media addiction indicate that women of all ages spend 1.49 hours daily on social networking websites, which is 13 minutes more than men do.
(Data Reportal)
Nowadays, roughly 1 in 3 divorces is caused by social media-related disagreements.
Divorcing someone over a social media-related dispute might have been a rare occurrence or nearly unfathomable merely two decades ago. Sadly, things have taken a darker turn. One of the most shocking facts about social media is that, nowadays, one-third of divorces are caused by such disputes.
(Hg.org)
A staggering 43% of teenagers feel blue if no one likes their posts.
Teenagers can be quite fragile, and their need to be accepted by peers is at an all-time high. The research found that 43% of teens feel profoundly distraught when no one likes their posts. Additionally, 35% of those surveyed reported being cyberbullied while using social media. This study revealed profoundly negative social media statistics that could have long-term consequences in these teens’ lives.
(Statista)
Excessive exposure to social networks can cause sleep-related problems in young adults.
Four out of ten young adults reported that spending too much time on social media had an adverse effect on their sleep. This number increased from 26% in 2015 to 41% in 2017. Exhaustion is only one of the possible social media dangers, as statistics show 35% of young adults reported a slump in academic performance due to excessive social media use.
(CBS)
Spending more than 3 hours per day on social media can have a negative impact on your well-being.
Users were questioned on how social media affected their perception of "missing out" and if it made them "compare themselves to others." These negative social media statistics reveal that 33% of those who spend more than 3 hours on social media replied positively to both questions. On the other hand, just 20% of those who spend an hour or even less on social media replied the same.
(Lululemon)
54% of US teens say it would be hard for them to quit social media.
Teenage social media addiction statistics show that for 18% of teens, it would be very hard to quit, while it would be somewhat hard for 35%. 20% say it would be very easy. Stats also show it would be more difficult for teen girls (58%) than teen boys (49%). Social media addiction in teens is worse for those who use one of the platforms almost constantly, as 32% of them say it would be very hard to quit.
(Pew Research)
Disconnect for a While
There is no doubt that the internet has improved and simplified many aspects of our life, but there are drawbacks as well. The detrimental impacts of excessive use of digital technology are highlighted by statistics about social media addiction, particularly for mental health and general socio-emotional well-being. Therefore, it's important for everyone to disconnect from social media occasionally.
Social Media Addiction FAQ
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