Social media are an unavoidable part of living in the 21st century. But which platforms are most popular with different groups of users?
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It seems like just about everyone uses social media these days. Individuals use it to maintain connections with friends and family, find dating partners, push political agendas, and share (allegedly) humorous memes and other content. Institutions, organizations, and companies (including MagellanTV) use it to promote their interests and services.
So, who is using which platforms?
Data on social media demographics reveal a variety of trends related to age, gender, location, and platform preferences. While the specifics can vary by country and platform, let’s look at a general overview of social media demographics.
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Age
Younger users (ages 13–29) dominate social media usage across most platforms. TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are particularly popular among teenagers and young adults, with TikTok being a particular favorite of GenZ teens.
Adults (ages 30–49) remain active across most platforms, particularly Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (now X), and LinkedIn. Facebook usage tends to skew slightly older, and this group continues to include a large number of FB users.
Older adults (ages 50+) have been slower to embrace social media, but they have become big users of platforms like Facebook (for social purposes) and LinkedIn (for professional networking).
Sex/Gender
Social media are popular with users of both sexes and all gender orientations, but there are some slight differences:
Instagram and TikTok tend to have slightly more female users, while Facebook and Twitter (X) tilt a bit to males. LinkedIn has a greater number of male users, but the gap is closing. And Pinterest is heavily dominated by female users, with about 60–70 percent of its participants being women.
Location
Facebook remains the most popular platform globally, with the biggest user bases in large-population countries such as India, the U.S., and Indonesia. WhatsApp is particularly popular in Latin America, Europe, and parts of Asia. TikTok has seen rapid growth around the world, especially in the U.S., Brazil, and Southeast Asia, among other countries and regions. WeChat is the most popular platform in China, and Russian users are especially fond of VK.
As for the urban/rural divide, cities tend to have higher social media adoption rates due to better Internet infrastructure and younger populations. Not surprisingly, platforms like Instagram and Twitter (X) have strong urban-user bases. Facebook, on the other hand, is more evenly distributed among urban, suburban, and rural areas.
(Credit: Mircea Iancu, Surprising SnapShots, via Pixabay)
Education & Income
There is some variation among platforms in the educational and income levels of their typical users. For instance, LinkedIn attracts participants with higher education and income levels due to its focus on professional development. Facebook is widely used across all education and income levels. And Instagram and TikTok appeal to a broad spectrum but are particularly popular with younger users, including students.
Platform-Specific Insights
Facebook is still the most widely used platform globally, with an older and more evenly distributed user base in terms of age. It remains the primary platform for many older adults and people in rural areas.
Instagram is popular among younger generations (under 35), with a strong emphasis on visual content. It has a more urban and cosmopolitan user base.
Twitter (now X) is often used by professionals, journalists, and people interested in real-time news. Its user base tends to be younger, with a focus on men in the 18–49 age range.
TikTok is rapidly growing and has one of the youngest user demographics, dominated by Gen Z and younger Millennials.
LinkedIn is primarily used by professionals for networking, with users mostly aged 25–54 and generally having higher education levels.
Over time, no doubt, there will be significant shifts in platform preferences among various demographic groups. Some currently popular platforms will lose their luster, and new platforms will emerge with features and attractivity we can’t currently imagine. In any case, for better or worse, social media will likely remain the most common means to organize our daily connections with other people.
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Title Image credit: Mariia Shalabaieva, via Unsplash
