You open your eyes in the morning, your hand reaches for your phone, you pick it up, and start scrolling down your favorite social media feed. This is often how most of us start our days.
Social media platforms have taken over the world, no cap! In the last five years, the industry has bloomed from a modest 582.9 Billion visits to 1.98 Trillion in 2023.
The new study by LifeSight has painted the picture of the global digital landscape, depicting the exponential growth of different platforms.
So, if you want to know whether your preferred platform made it, or whether you have chosen the right one for your business, you have come to the right place. Let’s take a closer look at the most-visited social media websites of 2023, giving you all the essentials from this comprehensive study.
Following at a distance is Facebook, which takes the second position with 216.4 billion visits in 2023. While its popularity may have decreased from its earlier high time, the website is still favored as it has grown by 15.33%.
Maintaining a positive increase, X, formerly known as Twitter, comes third with a 63.19% increase in visitors, with 112.9 billion visits in 2023.
At fourth position, Instagram has flourished, with 87.3 billion visits in 2023. These days, Instagram is more than your public photo album, thriving on the visual content trend, which makes it one of the hottest platforms among people under the age of 45.
Other members of the top ten are Reddit, TikTok, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Twitch, and Quora, respectively. While it may feel surprising to see TikTok ranking comparatively lower, you have to consider its significant growth, which makes it the most trendy app amongst Gen Z.
From a moderate 0.7 billion visits in 2019, the platform has reached the sky with its youthful user base at 41.8 billion visits in 2023. With 78.35% of the users accessing it through their mobile devices, it is one of the most used apps on the go.
With TikTok being convenient and trendy, we can only expect the platform to expand in usage in the coming years.
With 436.1 Billion visits in 2023 alone, it makes them the top consumer of social media platforms. In fact, its total of social media visits is even higher than its own population of 339.99 billion! That is also more than double that of the first runners-up, India.
In 2023, India had a record 171.8 billion total social media visits. Following closely is Brazil, with 123 billion visits. Tech-savvy Japan comes fourth with 88.1 Billion visits, and Great Britain comes fifth with 71.6 billion, which is impressive given its much smaller population.
With the evolution of technology and the emergence of new devices like VR headsets and camera glasses, you can only expect views in different countries to increase. Given that cell phones are becoming cheaper, more accessible, and more refined, new users will break in, driving views.
At 31.4%, females seem to be less enamored by these platforms, even though we often see more female content creators in the industry. X is the only platform where there is a close to even female user base, at 43%.
So, if you feel like most of this platform caters to men and is driven by male interest, you won't be wrong! But, we can hope for more equality with the entrance of new users in the industry.
So, don't be surprised if the minutes just fly by once you open the app. And, with content creators making more immersive and interesting videos, we can't blame you for getting hooked.
Facebook is not far behind either, with a little over 21 minutes of average visit duration, so be prepared to get stuck in that daily scrolling session. While Twitch didn't make it to the top five, its loyal users stay around an average of 20 minutes on the platform.
Even user favorites like Instagram, X, and WhatsApp, have around 14-16 minutes of average usage time. So, don’t expect your screen time to decrease any time soon.
TikTok has a remarkably high amount of mobile users at 78.35%, but strangely enough, the app isn't alone. Most platforms that are famed for their mobile app have around 70% of users accessing them from their phones.
Cellphones have become an extension of us, and any social media app that is not accessible on mobile won't survive in the current industry.
So, while we don’t see the number of desktop users increasing unless any other technology takes over, mobile may continue to dominate in the future.
In the future, other countries like India or China, with a higher population, may overtake the United States with more views. We can also expect more female viewers, while TikTok may also climb up the ranks.
As a loyal user, you can expect better content and services in the future, which will drive the views. So, if you want to monetize this jump in views, consider making your own content on any of these top platforms. Get a closer view of the study here.
Read next: Survey: 80% of Consumers Prefer Free Services, Apps And Digital Content, Willing to Share Data for Ad-Based Access
Social media platforms have taken over the world, no cap! In the last five years, the industry has bloomed from a modest 582.9 Billion visits to 1.98 Trillion in 2023.
The new study by LifeSight has painted the picture of the global digital landscape, depicting the exponential growth of different platforms.
So, if you want to know whether your preferred platform made it, or whether you have chosen the right one for your business, you have come to the right place. Let’s take a closer look at the most-visited social media websites of 2023, giving you all the essentials from this comprehensive study.
10 Most Visited Social Media Websites of 2023
YouTube is the Undisputed King
Taking the top spot, YouTube is the reigning king of social media, with a whopping 68.17% of total visits. With I.35 trillion visits in 2023, the streaming giant is leagues ahead of other platforms. So, if you want to make content that sells, you should consider making it here.Following at a distance is Facebook, which takes the second position with 216.4 billion visits in 2023. While its popularity may have decreased from its earlier high time, the website is still favored as it has grown by 15.33%.
Maintaining a positive increase, X, formerly known as Twitter, comes third with a 63.19% increase in visitors, with 112.9 billion visits in 2023.
At fourth position, Instagram has flourished, with 87.3 billion visits in 2023. These days, Instagram is more than your public photo album, thriving on the visual content trend, which makes it one of the hottest platforms among people under the age of 45.
Other members of the top ten are Reddit, TikTok, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Twitch, and Quora, respectively. While it may feel surprising to see TikTok ranking comparatively lower, you have to consider its significant growth, which makes it the most trendy app amongst Gen Z.
Breaking Newcomer Tiktok
We all know that TikTok is the hottest new platform. With around 35 million videos posted every day, Tiktok managed to do what its predecessors, Vine, couldn’t; its user base expanded immensely as more and more short videos went viral.From a moderate 0.7 billion visits in 2019, the platform has reached the sky with its youthful user base at 41.8 billion visits in 2023. With 78.35% of the users accessing it through their mobile devices, it is one of the most used apps on the go.
With TikTok being convenient and trendy, we can only expect the platform to expand in usage in the coming years.
United States Paving the Way
The United States may not be the most populated country on earth, but it is the place with the highest social media visits in 2023.With 436.1 Billion visits in 2023 alone, it makes them the top consumer of social media platforms. In fact, its total of social media visits is even higher than its own population of 339.99 billion! That is also more than double that of the first runners-up, India.
In 2023, India had a record 171.8 billion total social media visits. Following closely is Brazil, with 123 billion visits. Tech-savvy Japan comes fourth with 88.1 Billion visits, and Great Britain comes fifth with 71.6 billion, which is impressive given its much smaller population.
With the evolution of technology and the emergence of new devices like VR headsets and camera glasses, you can only expect views in different countries to increase. Given that cell phones are becoming cheaper, more accessible, and more refined, new users will break in, driving views.
Surge of Male Users
While the world population is close to being evenly divided into male and female, it is surprising that male users dominate social media. Male users make up 68.7% viewer base, which is more than double that of females.At 31.4%, females seem to be less enamored by these platforms, even though we often see more female content creators in the industry. X is the only platform where there is a close to even female user base, at 43%.
So, if you feel like most of this platform caters to men and is driven by male interest, you won't be wrong! But, we can hope for more equality with the entrance of new users in the industry.
Ever Increasing Screentime
Do you feel like your screen time is insanely long? You are not alone. The average visit duration to the top platform YouTube is around half an hour!So, don't be surprised if the minutes just fly by once you open the app. And, with content creators making more immersive and interesting videos, we can't blame you for getting hooked.
Facebook is not far behind either, with a little over 21 minutes of average visit duration, so be prepared to get stuck in that daily scrolling session. While Twitch didn't make it to the top five, its loyal users stay around an average of 20 minutes on the platform.
Even user favorites like Instagram, X, and WhatsApp, have around 14-16 minutes of average usage time. So, don’t expect your screen time to decrease any time soon.
What Device Are People Using?
Do you watch videos on your phone, or do you prefer using your computer? Given that, on average, 59% of social media usage is on the cell phone, it wouldn't be surprising if you prefer using your mobile.TikTok has a remarkably high amount of mobile users at 78.35%, but strangely enough, the app isn't alone. Most platforms that are famed for their mobile app have around 70% of users accessing them from their phones.
Cellphones have become an extension of us, and any social media app that is not accessible on mobile won't survive in the current industry.
So, while we don’t see the number of desktop users increasing unless any other technology takes over, mobile may continue to dominate in the future.
Final Thoughts
So, we’ve managed to spearhead through the most visited social media platforms of 2024. Whether you prefer Instagram or YouTube, it’s safe to say that social media dominance is here to stay. We are not just addicted, we are practically dependent on them.In the future, other countries like India or China, with a higher population, may overtake the United States with more views. We can also expect more female viewers, while TikTok may also climb up the ranks.
As a loyal user, you can expect better content and services in the future, which will drive the views. So, if you want to monetize this jump in views, consider making your own content on any of these top platforms. Get a closer view of the study here.
Read next: Survey: 80% of Consumers Prefer Free Services, Apps And Digital Content, Willing to Share Data for Ad-Based Access
