Social media platforms have become an unavoidable part of our lives. Kids, pre-teens, teens, adults, and even old people spend hours on social media channels. Social media platforms today are not just about entertainment, they’ve also become a career path for many.
There are hundreds of social media platforms, but only a few have managed to become the top players.
In this guide, we’ll cover all the top social media platforms in the world.
Key Statistics About Social Media Platforms
- Only 1.32% of the 4.48 billion social media users access social media services via desktop. 99% use websites and apps through smartphones.
- On average, people globally spend 2 hours and 24 minutes every day on social media. If someone signed up when they were just 16, and they lived up to 70, they’d have spent 5.7 years of their lives on it.
- With 2.9 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most popular social media service. YouTube comes second with 2.3 billion, WhatsApp at third position with 2 billion users, Facebook Messenger with 1.3 billion, and WeChat with 1.3 billion.
- 93.33% of 4.8 billion internet users are active users.
- 85% of the 5.27 billion unique mobile phone users are active users.
- 99% of the 4.48 billion social media users access sites and apps via a mobile device.
Most Used Social Media Services in 2023
There are tons of social media services out there, but few have reached the top. Here’s our list of the most used social media services in 2023.
1. Instagram
Instagram has surpassed 1 billion monthly users. This user base makes sense as Instagram has a blend of everything that a user could ask from a social media service.
Instagram was launched keeping influencers, artists, and small and large brands n mind. Over time, Instagram has evolved to be one of the biggest social media services in the world.
The use of social media apps gradually drops off with age, but it stays consistent across all genders.
Instagram is home to millions of photos, reels, videos, and memes. These features have ensured the continued growth of Instagram.
2. YouTube
YouTube is the second largest search engine service in the world. It’s just behind Google, its parent company. Businesses of all kinds rely on YouTube to generate interest in their products/services.
A majority of American adults around 74% have reported regularly using YouTube. The major age group is between the range of 15-35. YouTube is loved by all genders. YouTube has over 2.3 billion monthly active users.
3. Facebook
Facebook has nearly 3 billion monthly users, and it is without a doubt one of the largest and most used social media services in the world. This social media platform used to be most popular among teens and young adults, but recently they’ve seen a drop in users.
Around 68% of all American adults use Facebook regularly. 51% of these users are active on Facebook multiple times a day. Facebook has users spread all across the genders, but people above the age of 40 are the most active on Facebook.
4. Twitter
Twitter has over 450 million active users. 40% of these users are active on the site multiple times a day. Twitter is used by all major brands to drop an update about their products and services. Twitter remains especially famous among tech-savvy youth, especially when it comes to the B2B industry.
63% of Twitter active users are between the ages of 35 and 65 with men making up nearly 2/3 of the audience. Twitter’s 81 million users actually come from America itself.
5. TikTok
While there are a lot of conspiracies associated with TikTok, it can’t be denied that TikTok is one of the largest social media platforms.
TikTok has been available worldwide since 2018, and it is the fastest social media platform to gain 1 billion users. TikTok has become one of the largest services that users have chosen to make their career out of.
Over half of TikTok’s American user base is under the age of 35. 48% of all American TikTok users are between the ages of 10 and 29. TikTok has become a major part of the brand marketing strategy for all major businesses.
6. Pinterest
Pinterest is a social media platform that’s mostly famous among artists, and creators. It’s basically a bookmarking tool for saving ideas and finding creative inspiration for DIY home projects, sewing patterns, travel plans, and interior design.
People who want ideas at all times love Pinterest as it’s home to tons of renovation ideas. With 433 million active users, Pinterest has one of the most concentrated audiences of women across all social media sites.
Almost 80% of active users on Pinterest are women with a fairly even spread across age ranges, here’s the breakdown of users:
- 18-29 (32% of users)
- 30-49 (34% of users)
- 50-69 (38% of users)
7. Snapchat
Snapchat came onto the scene and quickly became a sensation. Unfortunately, it also fell behind its primary competitors like Instagram. Snapchat is still a heavily used social media platform, and it is most preferred by people younger than 25 years.
In 2023, Snapchat has around 494 monthly users. Adults between the ages of 18-29 make up 65% of Snapchat’s active user base. It has around 14 billion daily video views. As for gender, Snapchat has more women users than men.
8. LinkedIn
With 810 million users globally, LinkedIn is another leading social media platform. LinkedIn has a user base of professionals looking to network. It has also become a place for businesses to source new resources for themselves.
The user base of LinkedIn is made up of ages between 25 and 34. This age group makes up 60% of all users on the platform. LinkedIn ranks on top when it comes to B2B lead generation.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media Platforms
While social media platforms have become a major part of our lives, they’re not all great. There are some advantages and disadvantages of using social media services.
Social media has changed how we lead our daily lives, our work, and how businesses communicate with customers. Some users indulge in social media services too much, which leads to mental health issues. According to a recent study, Instagram is the worst social media for mental health.
Let’s go over a list of advantages and disadvantages of social media platforms:
| Advantages of Social Media | Disadvantages of Social Media |
|---|---|
| A place for Noble Causes and Practices | Cyberbullying |
| Small businesses use social media to grow themselves and boost the economy | Hacking on social media |
| Allows people globally to connect with each other | Makes people unable to communicate face-to-face |
| Good source of up-to-date information | Increases the spread of fake news |
| Social media is beneficial to education | People often become addicted to social media services |
| Use social media to drive traffic to use websites | Social media can be harmful to the health |
| Assists in the formation of communities of like-minded people | People waste hours of their day on social media services |
| Social media can connect large audiences | Social media causes sleep issues |
| Government benefits from social media services | Social media also can be responsible for depression and loneliness |
| Entertainment with social media services | Social media reduces the span of attention and increases distraction |
