A study conducted between December 2021 and February 2022, found that out of 8,720 pieces of content sent to high-profile women, 6.5 percent contained misogyny, image-based sexual abuse, hatred, or graphic content. Overall, the participants of the study were most likely to receive abuse via video content, with over 17 percent of the direct messages examined containing violating content in this format. Additionally, 14.1 percent of violating content was send in audio form.

As of February 2025, two billion users were accessing the WhatsApp messenger on a monthly basis. The app’s reach in usage penetration is particularly strong in markets outside the United States, and it is one of the most popular mobile social apps worldwide. WeChat amassed over 1.38 billion users, and Facebook Messenger amassed around 947 million users worldwide. Instant messaging is a type of online chat which offers real-time text transmission via internet. Since the appearance of the smartphone and the subsequent explosion of mobile apps, low-cost or free chat and social messaging apps have proven themselves as a cheap alternative to operator-based text messaging via SMS. Many messenger apps offer features such as group chats, the exchange of graphics, video and even audio messages as well as stickers or emoticons.

DM Deutschland is the most popular Germany based retail brand on Instagram according to influencerdb.net, with approximately 1.9 million followers. Bilou claimed second place, with close to 1.76 million followers.

Facebook was the most used social media platform for news consumption in 2024 in Romania, followed by YouTube. The least used social media platform for news purposes in Romania in 2024 was Instagram, while TikTok rose to the fourth place for the first time in the rankings.

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.

According to an online survey conducted in March 2024 in the United States, Meta's Facebook Messenger was the most used messaging service across all selected age groups, with more than 60 percent of respondents aged between 18 and 54 using the platform, as well as 47 percent of those aged 55 and older. Instagram was the second most popular platform among respondents aged between 18 and 34 years, with more than half of all respondents belonging to this age group using the service.

WhatsApp was the leading actively used messenger service in Germany in 2021. Almost 84 percent of users confirmed this. While WhatsApp is foremost a messaging service, certain features indicate similarities with social media networks, as sharing and posting between users still occurs, just not necessarily on a publicly accessible website. Delivering the message For most of the population, modern life is unimaginable without messenger apps. Texting has become much more varied as a form of communication thanks to extended file and content sharing options within messages. There is no doubt that WhatsApp is a popular messaging app in Germany. In 2023, almost 85 percent of people were messaging on WhatsApp every day. By 2025, it is estimated that over 53 million people will be using WhatsApp in Germany, suggesting it's popularity as a messaging app will not diminish with time. Personal data While Facebook is extremely popular in many different countries, long-term questions and concerns from users continue to arise, with personal data security being one of the leading topics of discussion. In general, the there have been many breaches of personal data online. At the same time, social media continues to enjoy rising popularity and use among the German population, both in a private and professional context.

In 2024, the most popular social media and messaging platforms among adults in Australia were Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. Facebook was used by 60 percent of adults, WhatsApp by 26 percent, and Instagram by 38 percent. New popular formats of social networks In addition to traditional social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, alternative formats are gaining popularity in Australia. Snapchat, known for its ephemeral content, is steadily growing nowadays. Between 2024 and 2028, the platform's user base is expected to increase by 0.3 million, reaching a peak of 7.74 million users. Similarly, LinkedIn, a prominent platform for professional networking, is projected to expand by 0.5 million users during the same period, reaching a peak of 13.89 million users by 2028. This consistent growth across both platforms highlights the diverse ways Australians are engaging with social media, whether for personal expression or professional connections. Social media growth increasing In Australia, social media remains a dominant force in digital engagement, with 65 percent of respondents in a 2024 survey identifying social media websites and apps as their most used online services. This aligns with the global increase in social media engagement. As of February 2022, about 82.7 percent of Australians were active on social media, a significant increase from 58 percent in 2015. This rapid growth shows the expanding role of social media in daily life, indicating its increasing significance and integration into various forms of communication and entertainment.

This statistic shows the results of a survey question regarding the most used messenger apps on a daily basis of 18 to 24 year olds in Belgium in 2017. According to data provided by Deloitte, Snapchat and Instagram especially popular among the 18-24 demographic for communication purposes. As of February 2018, Facebook Messenger had approximately 39,000 downloads by iPhone users in Belgium.

According to exclusive data by Statista’s Market Analytics team, based on calculations and estimates derived from relevant primary data and third-party data analysis, the number of monthly active Belgian Facebook users is projected to reach close to 6.6 million individuals in 2021.

In Australia in 2024, the most popular social media and messaging platforms for Australian teens were Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram. Snapchat had 59 percent of teens using the app, TikTok had 57 percent, and Instagram had 56 percent.

WhatsApp emerged as the most used social media app in India with users spending an average of 20 hours per month on the instant messaging platform in 2021. Facebook followed second with users spending just under 20 hours on average on it per month. The government-imposed ban on Tik Tok contributed to higher engagement on Meta Platforms, especially Facebook and Instagram, among Indian users between 2020 and 2021.

A survey conducted in January 2022 revealed WhatsApp as the most used platform among social media and messaging apps in India, with 25 percent of respondents using it many times a day. This was followed by YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. The source revealed, despite the popularity of social media and messaging apps among Indians, three-fifth of the population never used these platforms,mainly due to lack of access to technology or smartphones.

In 2023, children in the United States spent an average of 120 minutes per day on TikTok. Instagram ranked second, with young users engaging with the popular video messaging app for approximately 65 minutes per day. By comparison, children in the United States spent 20 minutes on average on Pinterest, while the Reddit mobile app only saw approximately 10 minutes of daily usage by children and teens in the country.

The messaging app LINE was used by 81.6 percent of internet users in Japan during the third quarter of 2024. LINE was the most used social media service, ahead of X, Instagram, and TikTok.

A 2024 survey found that about 28 percent of Hong Kong respondents voted WhatsApp to be their favorite platform among all social media and messaging apps. Instagram and Facebook were head-to-head in the second and third places, each receiving less than 18 percent of responses.

According to a survey conducted among internet users in Vietnam by Decision Lab, as of the third quarter of 2024, around 94 percent of respondents stated that they used Facebook, followed by Zalo, and YouTube. While Facebook and YouTube are known globally, Zalo is Vietnam’s premier chatting platform, which was first introduced to the population in 2012. Social media usage in Vietnam The number of social network users in Vietnam is forecasted to reach nearly 83 million by 2028. While Facebook remains the most popular app to get news, Zalo was primarily used to connect with friends and family, according to a survey conducted among Vietnamese internet users in the third quarter of 2024. In addition to providing entertaining videos, YouTube also offers subscription services for celebrity channels. TikTok, the new rising app first launched in 2016, has become the leading social media app to watch short videos in Vietnam, especially among the Vietnamese Gen Z. Zalo in Vietnam Zalo was created by Vuong Quang Khai, the current executive vice president of the Vietnamese technology company VNG Corporation, and has reached over 100 million users worldwide. Zalo provides free instant messaging, voice messaging, and individual or in-group calls, allowing users to send high-quality media files as well as calendar functions in private groups. It also has a diary function for users to post emotions and upload photos. On average, people send over one billion messages, deliver around 45 million pictures, and make 50 million minutes of calls through Zalo every day globally.

In the third quarter of 2023, Facebook was the leading social media in France with more than 72.3 percent of French online users accessing the social media platform on a monthly basis. The most popular messaging platform was WhatsApp, with 63.7 percent of surveyed French internet users reporting to have used the platform. Additionally, Instagram was used by 60.3 percent of respondents.

As of May 2024, YouTube was the most popular digital platform among Gen Z internet users in the United States. Around nine in 10 respondents reported accessing the platform. Instagram ranked second, as 73 percent of respondents stated to have engaged with the platform. Messaging platform WhatsApp was the least used digital platform, as only around 25 percent of consumers engaged with it as of the examined period.

According to a survey among internet users conducted in Vietnam by Decision Lab in the third quarter of 2023, Facebook was the leading social media platform among all generations. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese platform Zalo was the second most-used channel among the surveyed respondents. TikTok was most popular among Gen Z, with over 80 percent of respondents from this generation confirmed using this platform.

Social media platforms in Vietnam

Vietnam was among the countries with the highest number of social media users worldwide. The tech giant Meta dominated the social media landscape in the country, especially among Gen Y. Being the only Vietnamese brand among the top five, messaging app Zalo was the second most-used social media platform, just behind Facebook. Meanwhile, TikTok has recently emerged as one of the networks with the highest growth in user numbers in Vietnam, slowly gaining its spot among the leading platforms.

The rise of TikTok among Gen Z in Vietnam

TikTok is particularly popular among Gen Z globally, and Vietnamese members of this generation were no different. The share of TikTok users among Gen Z in Vietnam has been growing fast, reaching over 80 percent of the internet users within this age group. Although this platform has yet to surpass Facebook as the number one social media app, it ranked first among the leading social media apps for watching short videos among Vietnamese Gen Z as of the second quarter of 2023.

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2023, around 98.6 percent of respondents stated that they used the instant messenger service KakaoTalk. Other popular instant messenger services included Facebook Messenger at about 22 percent and Instagram messenger at 19 percent.

KakaoTalk and the preference for domestic services

KakaoTalk, also known as KaTalk, is a mobile messaging app operated by South Korean conglomerate Kakao Corporation. Dominating all other instant messaging services, South Koreans across all age groups have a high usage rate of the mobile and desktop app. While large international companies and their services are generally popular in South Korea, domestic alternatives also enjoy high usage rates. Daum Communications, one of South Korea’s most accessed web services, merged with Kakao in 2014, allowing the corporation to extend its influence over the domestic internet sector and its related services.

Kakao Corporation

Kakao Corporation is one of several successful South Korean conglomerates active across multiple industries. Other prominent industries the corporation is successful in include entertainment, transportation, and banking. Kakao Bank, which launched in 2017, was South Korea’s first digital bank. Despite being relatively new, Kakao Bank has become a leading bank in Asia.