According to the Visual Capitalist, humanity will spend a combined total of 500 million years on social media in 2024. Also, a study by the University of California, Irvine, found that people check their phones an average of 150 times per day, resulting in a significant loss of productivity.
With over five billion people worldwide using social media, the average internet user spends approximately 2.5 hours per day on social media platforms.
This represents more than a third of their total time spent online, highlighting the significant role social media plays in our daily lives. However, the fine line between using social media for productivity and mindless surfing can easily become blurred.
While there might be some variations in productivity between countries or individuals with different levels of social media use, it’s not a straightforward relationship as productivity is influenced by a complex array of factors.
According to some studies, moderate social media use (e.g., 1-2 hours/day) can be associated with increased productivity, as it can facilitate communication, knowledge sharing, and networking.
Excessive social media use (e.g., over 4 hours/day) can lead to decreased productivity, as it can result in distraction, addiction, and decreased focus.
The study surveyed social media users across the world within the age range of 16 and 64 years and discovered that social media users in some countries spent more daily time on the internet than in other countries.
According to the report analyzed by Visual Capitalist, six regions were surveyed – Africa (5 countries), South America (4 countries), Asia (5 countries), Europe (4 countries) and one country each from the middle east and north America.
Two African countries, Kenya and South Africa topped the global list and the table below presents the top five African countries with the longest time spent on social media.
| Rank | Country | Daily Time Spent |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Kenya |
3:43 |
|
2 |
South Africa |
3:37 |
|
3 |
Nigeria |
3:23 |
|
4 |
Ghana |
2:43 |
|
5 |
Egypt |
2:41 |
With an average time of 3 hours and 43 minutes spent on social media daily, Kenya tops the global list for time spent on social media. Across Africa, South Africa, Nigeria, and Ghana also report high social media engagement.
Internet users in Brazil topped the list of most time spent on social media in South America at 3 hours, 34 minutes.
The Philippines topped the list in Asia with a time of 3 hours, 33 minutes, Bulgaria topped the list in Europe with time of 2 hours, 26 minutes while Saudi Arabia and Mexico, representing the Middle east and north America clocked 3 hours, 10 minutes and 3 hours, 04 minutes respectively.
