This Is The Most Used Social Media Platform In 2023. And No, It’s Not Instagram Or Twitter

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When Meta launched Threads earlier this month, the app saw 5 million people sign up within four hours of its launch. Goes without saying, the world today functions on social media. As per a study by the digital advisory firm Kepios, approximately five billion (4.88 billion, to be exact) people are active social media users in 2023. This accounts for over 60% of the world's population. 

This figure indicates a rise of 3.7% from last year i.e. 173 million social media users were added this year alone. When we take into consideration the eligible population–since most social media platforms restrict children aged 13 and below to sign up–the number of social media users rises to 77% of the eligible global population. 

Let’s take a look at which social media apps have the highest number of active users. 

Most Used Social Media Apps

Per the data released by Kepios, there are now 7 social media platforms with 1 billion monthly active social media users. Four of these apps are owned by Meta - the parent company behind Facebook, Instagram and Threads. 

Facebook is leading the way, with approximately 3 billion monthly active users. The microblogging platform Twitter ranks at the 14th position, with 564 million monthly active users - far behind China’s native app TikTok, which is at the 6th rank, despite being banned in the world’s most populated nation, India. 

Here are the top six social media apps and their monthly active users: 

Better Use Of the Internet

Social media has become our go-to tool to get information, news, entertainment, and event mentorship. As the study clearly shows, the world is spending considerable time on social media. 

On average, a user spends 2 hours and 26 minutes per day on social media worldwide, visiting 6.7 different platforms in a month. In India, approximately one out of three individuals actively engage on social media platforms.

But if you’re a student, there are certainly better ways to put that time to use than just scrolling through reels. Though it’s definitely a great distraction! 

Here are some better uses of the Internet: 

• Learn something new: Whether it’s baking banana bread during the pandemic-induced lockdown or learning a new language in your spare time, the internet has videos, explainers and tutorials on almost everything under the sun. 
• Practice your skills: The internet is also a great resource to practice and improve your skills - from reading comprehension to coding. You can find free courses as well as receive specialized training from experienced individuals online and enhance your skills. 
• Build connections: Perhaps the greatest use of social media is networking. From reaching out to your friends to finding the right mentor, social media allows us to build connections from the comfort of our homes. 

Hopefully, this helps you strike a balance between learning and scrolling for fun!

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