How much time do people spend on social media?

              As of 2024, the average daily social media usage of internet users worldwide amounted to 143 minutes per day, down from 151 minutes in the previous year. Currently, the country with the most time spent on social media per day is Brazil, with online users spending an average of three hours and 49 minutes on social media each day. In comparison, the daily time spent with social media in
              the U.S. was just two hours and 16 minutes. Global social media usageCurrently, the global social network penetration rate is 62.3 percent. Northern Europe had an 81.7 percent social media penetration rate, topping the ranking of global social media usage by region. Eastern and Middle Africa closed the ranking with 10.1 and 9.6 percent usage reach, respectively.
              People access social media for a variety of reasons. Users like to find funny or entertaining content and enjoy sharing photos and videos with friends, but mainly use social media to stay in touch with current events friends. Global impact of social mediaSocial media has a wide-reaching and significant impact on not only online activities but also offline behavior and life in general.
              During a global online user survey in February 2019, a significant share of respondents stated that social media had increased their access to information, ease of communication, and freedom of expression. On the flip side, respondents also felt that social media had worsened their personal privacy, increased a polarization in politics and heightened everyday distractions.

As of April 2024, around 16.5 percent of global active Instagram users were men between the ages of 18 and 24 years. More than half of the global Instagram population worldwide was aged 34 years or younger.

              Teens and social media

              As one of the biggest social networks worldwide, Instagram is especially popular with teenagers. As of fall 2020, the photo-sharing app ranked third in terms of preferred social network among teenagers in the United States, second to Snapchat and TikTok. Instagram was one of the most influential advertising channels among female Gen Z users when making purchasing decisions. Teens report feeling more confident, popular, and better about themselves when using social media, and less lonely, depressed and anxious.
              Social media can have negative effects on teens, which is also much more pronounced on those with low emotional well-being. It was found that 35 percent of teenagers with low social-emotional well-being reported to have experienced cyber bullying when using social media, while in comparison only five percent of teenagers with high social-emotional well-being stated the same. As such, social media can have a big impact on already fragile states of mind.

Age Estimation - 6,000 Photos

Dataset contains 9,000 high-quality facial images of children and teenagers aged 7–15, designed for age estimation, facial recognition, and anti-spoofing research. Its primary application is supporting the development of robust age estimation models, improving facial analysis for younger demographics, and studying social media usage patterns. — Get the data

  Dataset characteristics:

Characteristic Data

  Description

Photos of… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/ud-biometrics/kids-and-teens-selfie-dataset.

Facebook received 73,390 user data requests from federal agencies and courts in the United States during the second half of 2023. The social network produced some user data in 88.84 percent of requests from U.S. federal authorities. The United States accounts for the largest share of Facebook user data requests worldwide.

This project examined the role of technology use in teen dating violence and abuse, and bullying. The goal of the project was to expand knowledge about the types of abuse experiences youth have, the extent of victimization and perpetration via technology and new media (e.g., social networking sites, texting on cellular phones), and how the experience of such cyber abuse within teen dating relationships or through bullying relates to other life factors. This project carried out a multi-state study of teen dating violence and abuse, and bullying, the main component of which included a survey of youth from ten schools in five school districts in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, gathering information from 5,647 youth about their experiences. The study employed a cross-sectional, survey research design, collecting data via a paper-pencil survey. The survey targeted all youth who attended school on a single day and achieved an 84 percent response rate.

This data was collected as part of Nathan's day in a life observation, carried out on the 28/06/2014 with Liam Berriman. This item belongs to the Everyday Childhoods project dataset. For more information, click on the project or collection link.

This data was collected as part of David's day in a life observation, carried out on the 06/02/2014 with Sue Sharpe. This item belongs to the Everyday Childhoods project dataset. For more information, click on the project or collection link.

How many people use social media?

              Social media usage is one of the most popular online activities. In 2024, over five billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to over six billion in 2028.

              Who uses social media?
              Social networking is one of the most popular digital activities worldwide and it is no surprise that social networking penetration across all regions is constantly increasing. As of January 2023, the global social media usage rate stood at 59 percent. This figure is anticipated to grow as lesser developed digital markets catch up with other regions
              when it comes to infrastructure development and the availability of cheap mobile devices. In fact, most of social media’s global growth is driven by the increasing usage of mobile devices. Mobile-first market Eastern Asia topped the global ranking of mobile social networking penetration, followed by established digital powerhouses such as the Americas and Northern Europe.

              How much time do people spend on social media?
              Social media is an integral part of daily internet usage. On average, internet users spend 151 minutes per day on social media and messaging apps, an increase of 40 minutes since 2015. On average, internet users in Latin America had the highest average time spent per day on social media.

              What are the most popular social media platforms?
              Market leader Facebook was the first social network to surpass one billion registered accounts and currently boasts approximately 2.9 billion monthly active users, making it the most popular social network worldwide. In June 2023, the top social media apps in the Apple App Store included mobile messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram Messenger, as well as the ever-popular app version of Facebook.

This data is on what and how undergraduate students of Covenant University, Nigeria use the social media. A survey was carried out among 2,798 undergraduate students. A close ended questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. These data indicate that they mainly use the social media for personal communication, information search, entertainment, academic as well as non-academic purposes. They use the social media for private messaging, socialization and sharing of ideas with their families, friends, colleagues and lecturers. These respondents are of the opinion that the paramount benefit they have derived from using the social media is freedom of expression as the social media provide the platforms for them to do so. The respondents spend at least an hour or two every day using the social media.

Overview

Objectives of Global Youth Tobacco Survey:

To determine the level of tobacco use by State/UTs, sex, location of school (urban/rural). To estimate the age of initiation of cigarette and bidi smoking and smokeless tobacco. To estimate the exposure to secondhand smoking (SHS). To estimate the exposure to tobacco advertising

Available Columns in the dataset

1. Use of any form of tobacco, i.e. smoking, smokeless, and any other form of tobacco products;
2. Ever tried or experimented any form of tobacco even once;
3. Use of any form of tobacco in past 30 days;
4. Includes other form of smoking products in addition to cigarette and bidi such as hookah, cigars, cheroots, cigarillos, water pipe, chillum, chutta, dhumti,
5. Use of paan masala together with tobacco was asked directly as one of the categories of smokeless tobacco;
6. Susceptibility to future cigarette use includes those who answered Yes, or maybe to using tobacco products if one of their best friends offered it to them;
7. E-cigarette is part of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) and includes like devices and other emerging products;
8. Stopped using tobacco in past 12 months;
9. Refers to current tobacco users only;
10. Secondhand smoking or passive smoking refers to exposure to other peoples smoking in past 7 days;
11. Refers to schools, hostels, shops, restaurants, movie theatres, public conveyances, gyms, sports arenas, airports, auditorium, hospital building, railway waiting room, public toilets, public offices, educational institutions, libraries, etc.; 12. Refers to playgrounds, sidewalks, entrances to buildings, parks, beaches, bus stops, market places, etc.; #. the value 0.0 represent prevalence of less than 0.05.
12. Refers to source of obtaining tobacco products by current users at the time of last use in past 30 days and the two major sources are given here, therefore, these two figures may not add upto 100% as there are other sources;
13. Includes any form of mass media, fairs, concerts, sporting, community events or social gatherings, tobacco products packages and taught in class;
14. Mass media includes television, radio, internet, billboards, posters, newspapers, magazines, movies, etc.;
15. Social events include sports events, fairs, concerts, community events, social gatherings etc.;
16. Includes any form of media or point of sale;
17. Point of Sale includes any stores, grocery shops, paan shops etc.; 19.Unit of analysis is the school (unweighted);
18. Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.

License: Brief of Open Government Data (OGD) License- India

As of February 2025, the average daily social media usage of internet users worldwide amounted to 141 minutes per day, down from 143 minutes in the previous year. Currently, the country with the most time spent on social media per day is Brazil, with online users spending an average of 3 hours and 49 minutes on social media each day. In comparison, the daily time spent with social media in the U.S. was just 2 hours and 16 minutes. Global social media usage Currently, the global social network penetration rate is 62.3 percent. Northern Europe had an 81.7 percent social media penetration rate, topping the ranking of global social media usage by region. Eastern and Middle Africa closed the ranking with 10.1 and 9.6 percent usage reach, respectively. People access social media for a variety of reasons. Users like to find funny or entertaining content and enjoy sharing photos and videos with friends, but mainly use social media to stay in touch with current events and friends. Global impact of social media Social media has a wide-reaching and significant impact on not only online activities but also offline behavior and life in general. During a global online user survey in February 2019, a significant share of respondents stated that social media had increased their access to information, ease of communication, and freedom of expression. On the flip side, respondents also felt that social media had worsened their personal privacy, increased polarization in politics, and heightened everyday distractions.

This data was collected as part of Sean's day in a life observation, carried out on the 03/04/2014 with Liam Berriman. This item belongs to the Everyday Childhoods project dataset. For more information, click on the project or collection link.

This data was collected as part of Gabriel's day in a life observation, carried out on the 11/02/2014 with Sue Sharpe. This item belongs to the Everyday Childhoods project dataset. For more information, click on the project or collection link.

This data was collected as part of Tempest's day in a life observation, carried out on the 28/08/2014 with Mary Jane Kehily. This item belongs to the Everyday Childhoods project dataset. For more information, click on the project or collection link.

This data was collected as part of Saffron's day in a life observation, carried out on the 22/05/2014 with Lucy Hadfield. This item belongs to the Everyday Childhoods project dataset. For more information, click on the project or collection link.

In 2024, children in the United Kingdom spent an average of *** minutes per day on TikTok. This was followed by Instagram, as children in the UK reported using the app for an average of ** minutes daily. Children in the UK aged between four and 18 years also used Facebook for ** minutes a day on average in the measured period. Mobile ownership and usage among UK children In 2021, around ** percent of kids aged between eight and 11 years in the UK owned a smartphone, while children aged between five and seven having access to their own device were approximately ** percent. Mobile phones were also the second most popular devices used to access the web by children aged between eight and 11 years, as tablet computers were still the most popular option for users aged between three and 11 years. Children were not immune to the popularity acquired by short video format content in 2020 and 2021, spending an average of ** minutes per day engaging with TikTok, as well as over ** minutes on the YouTube app in 2021. Children data protection In 2021, ** percent of U.S. parents and ** percent of UK parents reported being slightly concerned with their children’s device usage habits. While the share of parents reporting to be very or extremely concerned was considerably smaller, children are considered among the most vulnerable digital audiences and need additional attention when it comes to data and privacy protection. According to a study conducted during the first quarter of 2022, ** percent of children’s apps hosted in the Google Play Store and ** percent of apps hosted in the Apple App Store transmitted users’ locations to advertisers. Additionally, ** percent of kids’ apps were found to collect persistent identifiers, such as users’ IP addresses, which could potentially lead to Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) violations in the United States. In the United Kingdom, companies have to take into account several obligations when considering online environments for children, including an age-appropriate design and avoiding sharing children’s data.

This data was collected as part of Lucien's day in a life observation, carried out on the 30/01/2014 with Rachel Thomson. This item belongs to the Everyday Childhoods project dataset. For more information, click on the project or collection link.

This is the second (wave 2) in a series of follow up reports to the Mental Health and Young People Survey (MHCYP) 2017, exploring the mental health of children and young people in February/March 2021, during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and changes since 2017. Experiences of family life, education, and services during the COVID-19 pandemic are also examined. The sample for the Mental Health Survey for Children and Young People, 2021 (MHCYP 2021), wave 2 follow up was based on 3,667 children and young people who took part in the MHCYP 2017 survey, with both surveys also drawing on information collected from parents. Cross-sectional analyses are presented, addressing three primary aims: Aim 1: Comparing mental health between 2017 and 2021 – the likelihood of a mental disorder has been assessed against completion of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in both years in Topic 1 by various demographics. Aim 2: Describing life during the COVID-19 pandemic - Topic 2 examines the circumstances and experiences of children and young people in February/March 2021 and the preceding months, covering: COVID-19 infection and symptoms. Feelings about social media use. Family connectedness. Family functioning. Education, including missed days of schooling, access to resources, and support for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Changes in circumstances. How lockdown and restrictions have affected children and young people’s lives. Seeking help for mental health concerns. Aim 3: Present more detailed data on the mental health, circumstances and experiences of children and young people by ethnic group during the coronavirus pandemic (where sample sizes allow). The data is broken down by gender and age bands of 6 to 10 year olds and 11 to 16 year olds for all categories, and 17 to 22 years old for certain categories where a time series is available, as well as by whether a child is unlikely to have a mental health disorder, possibly has a mental health disorder and probably has a mental health disorder. This study was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, commissioned by NHS Digital, and carried out by the Office for National Statistics, the National Centre for Social Research, University of Cambridge and University of Exeter.

In the academic year 2008/2009 Pernilla Garmy initiated a longitudinal study regarding sleep, media habits, and lifestyle in school aged children (ages 6–16; n=3011 in collaboration with all the school nurses in the city of Lund in southern Sweden. The results showed that the questionnaire was reasonable (Garmy et al. 2012a), that short sleep periods were associated with fatigue and less enjoyment in school (Garmy et al. 2012b), and that excessive screen time (i.e. time spent at television and/or computer) was linked with overweight children (Garmy et al. 2014). In the academic years 2011–2012 and 2012–2013, a follow-up study was conducted. The baseline investigation consisted of children who were 6–7 years old and about 10 years old during the follow-up investigation. The study was then repeated in collaboration with all of the school nurses in the city, and the survey and height and length measurements were conducted for all 10-year old school children during individual health visits with the school nurse (n=1300) (Garmy et al. 2018). This study showed that short sleep periods and long screen time were linked with obesity (Garmy et al. 2018). In the academic years 2015–2017, the students were about 14 years old, and the school nurse again offered a health visit that included height and weight measurements, and the school nurses once again collaborated and distributed the survey to the students (n=1518). At this time, interest in the study had started to spread, and in addition to the city of Lund, another four municipalities were included in the study. At present, this material is being analyzed in three master level theses, and the results should be published in scientific journals in 2018. The cohort is about 16 years during the academic years 2017–2019 and who have entered the first year in the secondary upper school, in which the school nurse once again will offer individual health visits. At this follow-up investigation, questions in the survey regarding physical activity, body image, and use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs have been added. We have also received ethical approval to compare the survey responses regarding sleep, media, and lifestyle with the school grades that measure academic success. Our hypothesis is that sleep and media habits affect academic success. The sleep length of the students in our studies is about 30 to 40 minutes shorter than in the earlier studies of Klackenberg (1982) involving children born in the 1950s. Our results are in line with other studies that show that the sleep length has decreased among adults and also among children. According to an extensive literature review by Matricciani et al. (2012), sleep period has decreased by an hour among children and adolescents during the last 100 years. Today we live in a 24-hour society in which work and spare time are distributed around the clock. Television, computer games, and social media can be used around the clock. This happens at the same time as the adult population on addition to children and adolescents are facing increased sleeping difficulties, shorter sleep length, and stress-related problems. It is therefore of utmost importance to investigate sleep, media habits, and lifestyle in a longitudinal perspective.

Research Questions The aim of the current study was to investigate longitudinal sleep, media habits, body image, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI) among adolescents. Specific research topics were expressed in terms of six questions: 1. Do sleep patterns change over time? 2. Are different media habits associated with irregular or shorter sleep? 3. Are media habits and sleep length associated with obesity? 4. What is the prevalence of sleeping difficulties among adolescents? 5. Is there a link between physical activity, media habits, body image, obesity, and sleep? 6. Are the screening instruments, Minimal Insomnia Symptom Scale (MISS) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), valid and reliable among adolescents?

Project Relevance Sleep, media habits, and lifestyle among children and adolescents are in a rapidly changing. School has an important role to play in this area, and in school health care, we get many questions from children and parents regarding these issues. There is a lack of knowledge regarding sleep and media habits, and the way in which these habits are related to other lifestyle factors such as physical activity and obesity. Foremost, there is a great need for longitudinal studies in this area.

Method The sample consists of all students in first year of upper secondary school in the academic years 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 in four southern Swedish municipalities. Both public and private schools are included. The students will respond to a web-based survey regarding sleep, media habits, physical activity, body image, use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and self-reported health during the school day. The responses will be compared with grades (measuring academic success) and BMI (height and weight measurements by the school nurse).
The students have participated in the survey three times earlier: 1) at the ages of 6–7, 10, and 14. The survey has now been supplemented with Minimal Insomnia Sleep Symptoms questionnaire (MISS) (Broman et al., 2008, Westergren et al., 2015). Information about height and weight are collected from the school health journal. Trained school nurses have conducted all of the measurements. The weight is measured at a digital scale, which is calibrated annually. Children’s height is measured without their shoes using a manual height measure. BMI (kg/m2) is used to calculate the relative weight. Since BMI varies with the gender and age among the children, the international age and gender specific BMI curve developed by Cole et al. (2000) is used to identify adolescents who are overweight or obesity. Students with a BMI value correlating to >25 in late adolescence is classified as overweight, whereas a value correlating >30 is considered obese. Qualitative data will also be collected via focus adolescent group interviews regarding healthy sleep and media habits in addition to the phenomena Fear of Missing Out, FoMo. Qualitative content analysis (Graneheim & Lundman, 2004) will be used.

During a 2024 survey, 77 percent of respondents from Nigeria stated that they used social media as a source of news. In comparison, just 23 percent of Japanese respondents said the same. Large portions of social media users around the world admit that they do not trust social platforms either as media sources or as a way to get news, and yet they continue to access such networks on a daily basis.

              Social media: trust and consumption

              Despite the majority of adults surveyed in each country reporting that they used social networks to keep up to date with news and current affairs, a 2018 study showed that social media is the least trusted news source in the world. Less than 35 percent of adults in Europe considered social networks to be trustworthy in this respect, yet more than 50 percent of adults in Portugal, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Croatia said that they got their news on social media.

              What is clear is that we live in an era where social media is such an enormous part of daily life that consumers will still use it in spite of their doubts or reservations. Concerns about fake news and propaganda on social media have not stopped billions of users accessing their favorite networks on a daily basis.
              Most Millennials in the United States use social media for news every day, and younger consumers in European countries are much more likely to use social networks for national political news than their older peers.
              Like it or not, reading news on social is fast becoming the norm for younger generations, and this form of news consumption will likely increase further regardless of whether consumers fully trust their chosen network or not.