The social media addiction – new report shows people now spend 876 hours per year on social media

Ever found yourself endlessly scrolling through Instagram, refreshing your Twitter feed, or getting lost in the latest Facebook updates? A new report shows an increasing social media addiction; and the trend is global.

According to the data presented by the Atlas VPN team, an average internet user now spends 144 minutes (2 hours and 24 minutes) on social media. This equates to an astonishing 876 hours or approximately 36.5 days per year.

The social media addiction

The report shows that:

• The average internet user spent 144 minutes (2 hours and 24 minutes) on social media.
• It translates to 876 hours or approximately 36.5 days per year.
• People in Nigeria devote 238 minutes (equivalent to 3 hours and 58 minutes) of their daily time to social media, surpassing users in other countries.
• Next up are Ghana and Brazil, with 235 minutes (3 hours and 55 minutes) and 224 minutes (3 hours and 44 minutes) of daily social media usage, respectively.
• People in the Philippines and Kenya devote 216 minutes (3 hours and 36 minutes) and 215 minutes (3 hours and 35 minutes) to social media daily, respectively.
• In contrast, people in Japan spend only 50 minutes daily on social media — the least of all surveyed countries.
• The primary purpose of using social media is to keep in touch with friends and family, with 48.2% considering it their main activity.

To see the full report, please click here.

These figures are derived from data provided by DataReportal. The data is based on a survey with internet users aged 16 to 64 about their social media usage habits.

RELATED: Social media will bring more mental health challenges to Nigerians

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Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya lead Africa’s social media dependency rates

Emerging markets exhibit longer social media use. Despite only 14.3% of Nigeria‘s population being active social media users, individuals in the country devote an average of 238 minutes (equivalent to 3 hours and 58 minutes) of their daily time to social media, surpassing users in other countries examined in the study. Internet users in Ghana are not far behind, with 235 minutes (3 hours and 55 minutes) of daily social media usage.

Brazil occupies the third spot on the list. People there spend 224 minutes (3 hours and 44 minutes) on social media daily. However, the country ranks number one in the number of social media platforms used each month, with the country’s internet users actively engaging with 8.1 social networks monthly.

Next up are the Philippines and Kenya. People in the countries devote 216 minutes (3 hours and 36 minutes) and 215 minutes (3 hours and 35 minutes) to social media daily, respectively.

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In contrast, people in Japan allocate only 50 minutes of their daily time to social media — the least of all surveyed countries. Neighbors in South Korea are also not keen on spending time on social media, with 66 minutes (1 hour and 6 minutes) devoted to it on a daily basis. Both countries also rank in the bottom five based on the overall time spent on the internet. The internet usage trends in Japan and South Korea could be influenced by its aging population.

The primary purpose for most individuals using social media is to keep in touch with friends and family, with almost half (48.2%) considering it their main activity.

Another significant motive for social media usage is to fill spare time, with 36.8% of people indicating it as a reason. Meanwhile, 34.5% employ social media platforms to stay updated on news stories.

To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/time-people-spend-on-social-media