Global consumption of content has soared to dizzying heights, as social media visits peaked at a staggering 1.98 trillion in 2023, according to a new survey.
That marks a massive 70.56 per cent growth over five years, with the US, India and Brazil topping the countries (see complete list below), according to data released by LifeSight, a social media insights company.
It reveals the unmatched power and exponential growth of digital media – driven by apps and the convergence of functions on mobile phones.
It's the period fromm2019 to 2023 that was marked by the most significant surge in social media, according to LifeSight data.
Youtube vs Tiktok
The research underscores the dominance of platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, with YouTube's visits reaching a staggering 1.35 trillion in 2023, largely attributed to the accessibility of content through features like YouTube Shorts.
Meanwhile, TikTok's remarkable 60-fold increase epitomises the rapid pace of digital transformation.
The United States, India, and Brazil emerged as the top visiting countries, illustrating the extensive global reach of social media, making it a ubiquitous phenomenon connecting nearly everyone across continents.
Leveraging SEMrush's robust analytics, LifeSight delved into the substantial increase in social media traffic and unveiled key insights – such as a predominantly male user base and a strong preference for mobile access – indicative of the pervasive nature of social connectivity.
The study serves as a vital resource, offering crucial insights into the current status and future trajectory of social media's profound influence in the modern age.
Key findings:
Dominant Platforms: YouTube led with 1.35 trillion visits in 2023, followed by Facebook and Twitter.
TikTok's ascendancy: TikTok witnessed a remarkable surge to 41.8 billion visits, representing a growth of 60.15 times since 2019.
User demographics and devices: Male users constituted 68.65% of the user base, with a majority accessing social media via mobile devices (59.10%).
Five-year growth: Social media visits surged from 582.9 billion to 1.98 trillion, marking a 70.56% increase from 2019 to 2023.
2023 visit peaks: Combined visits for the top 10 sites hit a record high of 1.98 trillion in 2023, with a global monthly average of 165.0 billion visits and 5.4 billion daily visits.
What higher social visits mean
The specific meaning of a particular number of visits would require more context and analysis of the specific country and its social media landscape. For example, the LifeSight data, did not include China, which has its own social media dynamics.
As of Q3 2023, monthly usage of major social media platforms in China was dominated by WeChat (87.3 per cent), Douyin (78.4 per cent), QQ (59.8 percent) and Baidu Tieba (58.8 per cent), with many users holding multiple accounts across different platforms.
According to Statista, the number of Tencent's WeChat, the “everything app” in China, dominates social media in the mainland. As at the end of September 2023, the Chinese multi-functional social media platform had over 1.3 billion monthly active users.
Generally, a consumer insight is newly found valuable information that helps businesses gain a deeper understanding of their audience.
Following are the Top 10 Countries with the most social media visits in 2023, based on LifeSight/SEMrush data.
Source: LifeSight | SEMrush
