October 15, 2025

Report finds social media added over a quarter of a billion new user identities in the last year, but user behaviours are evolving SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meltwater, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence and We Are Social, the socially-led creative agency, have released Digital 2026, their latest annual report on social media and digital trends worldwide. Digital 2026 reveals major milestones in internet and social media adoption, with more than two-thirds of the world’s total population now using social media. The report also points to a significant evolution in online behaviour, as the battle for attention intensifies on established platforms. A social media ‘supermajority’ According to Digital 2026, global social media user identities now stand at 5.66 billion, equivalent to 68.7 percent of the global population. This figure represents a ‘supermajority’, with social media users outnumbering non-users two to one. The global total increased by 4.8 percent over the past year, thanks to the addition of 259 million new user identities. The battle for attention While user numbers continue to climb, how people spend their time is changing. The typical internet user spends more than 2.5 hours per day on social and video platforms, with ‘filling spare time’ now ranking as the second-biggest motivation for using social media, behind ‘keeping in touch with friends and family’. When it comes to which platforms are winning this battle for attention, Similarweb data shows YouTube has the largest number of active app users, almost 50 percent more than fifth-placed TikTok. However, the typical TikTok user spends an average of 1 hour and 37 minutes per day using the platform’s Android app, significantly more than any other social platform. Social media now the top channel for brand discovery Digital 2026 highlights fundamental differences in how different generations discover brands, with