In 2023, social media took our time: See just how much،
2023 is already in the rearview mirror, so let's take a fun walk down memory lane and learn about the mobile world in 2023. Thanks to the detailed report from Data.ai, we have some interesting information to share about our mobile habits. In this article, we will delve deeper into the world of social media.
Have you ever wondered how much time we spend on social media? Guess what? We love our social apps more than ever! On Android phones alone, we spent 2.3 trillion hours on social media in 2023. Yes, that's billions with a “T”, and that's a 9% increase from the previous year . Apparently we just can't get enough of scrolling and swiping!
Image credit – Data.ai
Show me the money: consumer spending
This is where things get really interesting. We don't just hang out; we also open our wallets. In 2023, we will spend almost $9 billion on social apps. This represents an increase of 13% compared to the previous year. TikTok is the star player here, breaking records in the app stores.
It is the first app (including games) to reach $10 billion in total consumer spending. Just a few years ago, reaching $1 billion seemed like a dream. Today, TikTok collects more than a billion every quarter! Most of this money comes from users buying coins to tip creators during live streams.
It took time for major social platforms to transition from advertising to their only source of revenue on mobile. TikTok's tipping success, along with the rise of the subscription model outside of mobile gaming, has revealed the potential of in-app purchases to increase revenue. Consumer spending on social apps almost doubled between 2020 and 2023.
TikTok isn't the only one getting creative with money. Other social platforms are exploring new ways to make money beyond ads. Consider subscriptions and in-app purchases. While TikTok stands out for its one-time purchases, most other big players in the non-gaming app world rely heavily on subscriptions. Snapchat, for example, saw its revenue skyrocket with its Snapchat+ subscription.
Image credit – Data.ai
Global downloads: a small drop but still impressive
Okay, there was a slight drop in global downloads, around 4%, but the numbers are still higher than before 2022, so the world of social apps looks pretty robust.
Here are some food for thought: different types of social applications have had mixed results depending on the country. In the United States, for example, the number of people using communications, social media, and microblogging apps hasn't quite reached the high bar set in 2020. Video and forum apps have also seen a surge. slight decrease.
There have been discussions about microblogging apps like X (formerly Twitter) losing their charm, especially with the rise of video-focused platforms like TikTok. Even with the arrival of new players, like Threads, microblogging is no longer growing as much as before.
In contrast, in the United States, TikTok now earns more than a dollar per user. This is an increase from 67 cents per user in 2022. Discord is in second place but far behind at 17 cents per user. Snapchat and Instagram are also seeing good growth in user spending.
To conclude, TikTok is the king of the social media jungle. It leads the pack in downloads and user spending worldwide. But with all this growth, concerns remain about privacy and misinformation. This even sparked discussions about banning the app in some US states.
