Ever found yourself endlessly scrolling through social media apps and platforms like Instagram, refreshing your Twitter feed, or getting lost in the latest Facebook updates? Well, you’re not alone. According to a recent study by the Atlas VPN team, the average internet user now spends a staggering 144 minutes (2 hours and 24 minutes) on social media every day. That adds up to a mind-boggling 876 hours or approximately 36.5 days per year.
These numbers are based on data provided by DataReportal, which conducted a survey with internet users aged 16 to 64 to gather insights into their social media habits. On average, users worldwide actively engage with 6.6 social media accounts each month.
However, when it comes to the amount of time spent on social media, Nigeria takes the lead. Despite only 14.3% of the country’s population being active social media users, individuals in Nigeria devote an average of 238 minutes (equivalent to 3 hours and 58 minutes) of their daily time to social media, surpassing users in other countries examined in the study. Not far behind are internet users in Ghana, who spend 235 minutes (3 hours and 55 minutes) on social media daily.
Brazil secures the third spot on the list, with people there spending 224 minutes (3 hours and 44 minutes) on social media every day. Interestingly, Brazil ranks number one in terms of the number of social media platforms used each month, with the country’s internet users actively engaging with 8.1 social networks monthly.
The Philippines and Kenya follow closely, with people in these countries devoting 216 minutes (3 hours and 36 minutes) and 215 minutes (3 hours and 35 minutes) to social media daily, respectively.
In contrast, people in Japan allocate only 50 minutes daily to social media, which is the least amount of time out of all the surveyed countries. South Korea, a neighboring country, also shows minimal interest in spending time on social media, with 66 minutes (1 hour and 6 minutes) dedicated to it on a daily basis. Interestingly, both Japan and South Korea rank in the bottom five in terms of overall time spent on the internet.
The internet usage trends in Japan and South Korea could be influenced by their aging populations. According to data provided by the World Economic Forum, it is projected that by the year 2050, approximately 40% of the populations in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan will be 65 years old and older.
Moving to Europe, most European countries, with the exception of Portugal, dedicate considerably less time to social media compared to the global average. Among European nations, Switzerland and Austria spend the least time on social media. Internet users in these countries devote an average of 92 minutes (1 hour and 32 minutes) and 91 minutes (1 hour and 31 minutes), respectively, to social media on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, people in the United States spend 135 minutes (2 hours and 15 minutes) connected to social media each day.
But why do people spend so much time on social media? The primary purpose, according to the survey, is to keep in touch with friends and family, with almost half (48.2%) considering it their main activity. Another significant motive is to fill spare time, with 36.8% of people indicating it as a reason. Additionally, 34.5% use social media platforms to stay updated on news stories.
Other motivations for using social media include finding content (29.2%), seeing what is being talked about (27.6%), finding inspiration for things to do and buy (25.5%), finding products to purchase (25.3%), watching live streams (22.8%), participating in sharing and discussing opinions with.
Featured image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
