We all use it and many of us can’t seem to live without it. From Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Youtube and TikTok to name a few, there are now around 4.89 billion social media users worldwide – that’s more than two-thirds of internet users everywhere!
Social media connects us folk these days in a way that didn’t exist back in the early 90’s – back in my day, you’d become pen pals with the people you met on your travels – and I’m talking pen, paper and an envelope, folks – yep, people actually purchased stamps back then.
These days though, not only do we have social media that connects us in a way that we never imagined back in the day, but now we have a World Social Media Day, to celebrate all that it have given us – cute puppies doing cute things.. and the rest.
10 interesting social media facts
To mark World Social Media Day, we’ve put together some very interesting facts about social media that may just inspire you to make a TikTok video. Get ready to fill your minds with a plethora of interesting social media facts AND for the full social experience, you could even win yourself the ultimate selfie set by answering the accompanying questions in this social media post. Full deets at the bottom of the page.
1. India loves Instagram
Launched in 2010, Instagram now has a whopping over 2.3 billion monthly active users in 2023, but according to the latest Instagram statistics, India has the largest Instagram audience, with 326.6 million active Instagram users – gotta love those selfies, India!
2. EVERYONE loves YouTube!
Interesting fact – YouTube was originally launched as a dating app called “Tune In Hook Up” that allowed singles to upload videos of themselves in their search for love! These days, more than 500 hours of content is uploaded to YouTube every minute, but it’s not a dating app anymore. The search term “YouTube” is still the love in many of our lives, ranking as the second highest most searched keyword in 2023.
3. Facebook is blue for a reason
Ever wondered why Facebook is predominantly blue? There’s actually a very specific reason for this – it’s widely reported that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook is red-green colour blind and blue is the colour he can see the best, and it also happens to be his favourite colour. He once said in an interview, “Blue is the richest colour for me — I can see all of blue”. Well, blue me down.
4. Snapchat was originally called Picaboo
Snapchat is now one of the most widely used social media platforms in the world. If you’re more old-school and don’t tamper with the Gen Zs’ toys, the idea of Snapchat is that photos and videos disappear within moments of them being posted, like a ghost in the night you could say. In fact, when Snapchat first came out it was called Picaboo, which explains where the ghost icon comes from. The name was changed to Snapchat in 2012, only a year after it was originally started. Personally, I think Picaboo is way more fun to say… Picaboo!
5. The most followed celebrity on Twitter is…
As of 2023, Elon Musk is the most followed celebrity on Twitter, with over 145 million followers to his name! As the wealthiest person in the world, no surprises that people are people all ears for his pearls of wisdom. Barack Obama has the most Twitter followers among any other World Leader, even though Donald Trump spent most of his time on tweets during his first month in office – true story.
6. We’re online approx 2.5 hours a day
The average person is awake for 16-18 hours per day, and during that time, we spend an average of 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media. That’s a lot of screen time for the 60% of the world that uses social media. Weird when you put it into numbers, isn’t it? I mean, just think what else you could’ve accomplished this year with those extra hours – writing a novel, perfecting your six-pack, sleeping more?? Well, as long as we make time for those other things too….
7. Seven social media accounts per person? That’s a lot!
In the UK, the average person bounces between seven different social networks per month, with Millennials and Gen Zs using social media the most. Seven accounts sounds like a lot, right? Let’s not forget our beloved Whatsapp, which is also a social media app, along with trusted Facebook Messenger. Let’s not forget that exercise video you love on YouTube, or the new job you found on Linkedin. And if you’ve decorated a room lately, or made some extra chocolaty brownies, there’s every chance you referred to visual discovery engine, Pinterest. See, it all does add up, doesn’t it?
8. TikTok is growing up fast
Launched in China in 2016, TikTok has been one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in existence, with 1.4 billion monthly active users in 2022 and expected to reach 1.8 billion by the end of 2023. If you’re not in-the-know, TikTok is where you can create, watch, and share 15-second videos shot on mobile devices or webcams, and has fast become the go-to app for Gen Zers.
It’s reported that the youngsters are using TikTok more than Instagram and predictions show that it will take over Snapchat numbers in the next few years as well. The future is Tik Tok, it seems.
9. The highest LinkedIn following goes to…
He’s the man behind most of your daily office functions and beyond – it can only be Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft who holds the largest following on LinkedIn, with over 35.6 million followers to date. There Are Over 930 Million Users on LinkedIn and each week over 61 million people are using LinkedIn to looking for their next dream job. Well, Mr Gates… there’s no better muse to have us striving high.
10. You can see who’s ghosted you on Facebook!
OK, could this be a game-changer or am I just ten years late to the party? So apparently, Facebook actually lets you see the people who have deleted or ignored your friend requests. You can stop wondering whether s/he’s off on a year-long global trek with little to no internet connection, and just accept that maybe s/he’s not into you and move on with your life. All set to see that list of people who’ve either ignored or deleted your friend request? Just click on Friend Requests and select See All. Above the People You May Know section, click on View Sent Requests. And remember… it’s their loss, not yours!
Want to win the ultimate selfie set?
Whether you’re a TikToker, an Instagramer or an old school Facebooker like me, there’s nothing quite like nailing that perfect selfie to share far and wide. We’ve created the ultimate selfie set which will go 3 lucky OJOers to celebrate World Social Media Day! Want a chance to grab one? Well, I hope you found this blogpost interesting, because your knowledge is about to get tested!
How to enter:
- Scroll down to the three questions below the image
- Comment all three answers on the corresponding post via our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter page.
- Three winners will be randomly picked (one per platform) and announced on 7th July 2023.
Questions:
1. How many hours of content is uploaded to YouTube every minute?
2. On average, how many social networks does one person bounce between per month in the UK?
3. Who is the most followed celebrity on Twitter?
Terms and Conditions:
- How to enter: Players must comment their answer in the post itself (Twitter, Instagram or Facebook). There will be three winners in total, who will be picked randomly across each platform.
- The PlayOJO competition is open to residents of Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) aged 18 and over, except employees and their immediate families of the promoter PlayOJO, their agents or anyone professionally connected to the Promotion.
- Only one entry per person. Multiple, bulk or third-party entries will not be accepted. Only the first entry made by a participant will be accepted. Offensive or inappropriate messages/comments will not be included within the draw.
- No responsibility can be accepted for incomplete entries, corrupted, delayed, wrongly delivered, or not received for whatever reason. The participants are randomly selected from all entries that meet the entry criteria, using an independently verified computer-generated system.
- This Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter shall not be liable for any loss, damage or liability caused by matters relating to this Promotion.
