🌐 The world has never been more connected: over 6 billion people are online, and almost 70% use social media. According to the Digital 2026 Global Overview Report, users spend 2 hours and 23 minutes a day on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. The report shows that social media, mobile technology and AI have long been inextricably linked.
📊 Key figures at a glance:
-6.04 billion people online (73% of the world’s population)
-5.66 billion active social media profiles (68.7%)
-96% of internet users are online via mobile devices
-Over 1 billion people use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude every month
💬 Social media is part of everyday life: everyone uses an average of 6.7 platforms, many simultaneously. Over 80% of TikTok users are also active on Facebook – platform diversity instead of monoculture. Those who do not optimise content for mobile devices will lose touch with everyday digital life.
⏰ More than two working days per week: Users spend an average of 18.5 hours per week on social media, with 16–24-year-olds spending as much as 24–26 hours. YouTube leads worldwide, followed by WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Meta dominates four of the five largest platforms, while X (formerly Twitter) is losing relevance.
💬 Messaging & “dark social”: 84.5% of users use at least one messaging app such as WhatsApp, WeChat or Telegram. Many purchasing decisions are made in these private channels, away from public likes or comments.
🛒 Social media as a search engine: Over 70% conduct their research directly on platforms, and almost half also make purchases there. Traditional search remains important: Google accounts for 90% of search queries.
🤖 AI is part of everyday life: over 1 billion people use AI every month, changing the way we search for information, create content and communicate. Social media, mobile and AI are increasingly merging – the internet is now our central living space.
