Social media daily active user journey Data snapshot

The behavioural cycle of social media DAUs is driven by identity and characterised by variety.

• 59% of social media DAUs say the people they hang out with reflect who they are
• 38% say the creators they follow reflect who they are
• 70% of all consumers use at least one social media platform daily, with the highest-indexing ones being Facebook (63%), YouTube (58%), Instagram (45%), and TikTok (36%)
• On average, social DAUs spend a self-reported 9.4 hours per week on social platforms
• 75% take steps to reduce their screen time on a monthly basis

Social DAUs are a majority part of the consumer base, with nuanced patterns of behaviour to match. However, there is a clear cycle of adoption driven by identity, engagement driven by variety, and aversion driven by digital overwhelm. As social media bans roll out across global markets, social’s daily active userbases are protected by a majority-older audience of Millennials and Gen X. However, uptake among new younger audiences could prove increasingly challenging as on-app culture shifts towards older demographics and the identity drivers of social fade.