

If we break these numbers down even further, we can get a sense of how much time we are spending on each individual network and how that adds up across our lifetime.įrom that data, we can quantify approximately how much time the average person will spend on each individual network throughout their life. But since the trend over the past few years has been for people to spend more and more time on social media, that means humans are on track to spend a decade or more time on social media in their lifetime.įor comparison, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that people spend more time on social media than on some everyday activities. Obviously, usage will likely change within the next seven decades, so take that number with a grain of salt. In other words, that's nearly 6 years and 8 months on social media in their lifetime based on the projections for social media use in 2020. In 2021, the WHO estimates the average global lifespan is 72 years, and if we assume that many people now start using social media as young as 10 years old, that means the average person will spend a total of 3,462,390 minutes using social media over their whole lifetime. There's no way to predict the future, but we expect that in 2020 and beyond, the global average will likely rise, especially since the number of internet and social media users around the world continues to grow. Studying this helps us get a better understanding of how impactful social media is in the lives of people in some societies versus others.Īdditionally, the time people spend on social media each day has been growing since 2012. In some places in the world, people spend far more time on social media, and in others, they spend far less. On average, we spend 144 minutes, or two hours and twenty-four minutes, on social media but this number is just that - an average. Average daily time spent on social media around the world Today, in 2021, some 3.8 billion people use social media, which is more than half the world's population.Īs we consider the role social media plays in our lives today and into the future, we'll have to decide whether we want to continue to allow this technology to take up as much of our time as it does today, or if it's time to pump the breaks on constant mobile connectedness.

In 2017, less than 2.5 billion people were on social media worldwide. Every second, 11 people use social media for the first time.

Like it or not, social media is a huge part of people's lives now, and that doesn't seem to be about to change any time soon.Įvery day, the number of social media users increases. Read on to see how much time people actually spend on social media in 2020. We're connected today in ways previous generations couldn't even have dreamed about.īut with that constant connection comes this question: How much time do people spend on social media each day? Is it too much? Should we be embracing our increasingly connected lives, or making an effort to cut back on screen time? The answer to that question is up to each person to make for themselves, but first, they need to know the numbers. It not only allows people to stay in touch across continents and time zones but also with friends who live just a few houses down. In 2022, social media is one of the best ways for people to connect with one another.
