Merriam Webster dictionary defines Social Media as ": forms of electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (such as videos)"
Yes, human beings are social by nature but social media simply consumed our lives. Sharing relevant and irrelevant information (which probably couldn't and wouldn't be shared in the old days) became easier than ever. Is social media a distractor, a waste of time or is it the new modern way of not being alone? Social apps enable people to connect with friends and family all over the world, hence helping in strengthening relationships and keeping in touch. But the line is very thin--and spending hours and hours on scrolling and swiping as a substitute for real connections can lead to disconnecting instead of connecting to people. Regardless of location, the population is simply hooked to social media.
Facebook was the leader in developing the social media market that reached 2.27 billion users in October 2018--this means that almost 30% of the world population is actively using Facebook (Statista). The social media era is still dominated by Facebook as it remains the most widely used social media app worldwide beside all the other social mobile apps like Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr, Reddit, VKontakte, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, Google+ and other. However, its market share is dropping while other social media apps are growing. Let’s see who is taking Facebook's market share globally and by regions.
Facebook's market share dropped from 76% to 66% in the last year worldwide
According to the data published by Statcounter, on a global level, Facebook's market share dropped from 75.5% in December 2017 to 66.3% in December 2018 in favor of Pinterest (16.3%), Twiter (8.2%), YouTube (4.8%) and Instagram (1.8%). Tumblr had 1% market share and Reddit 0.8% in December 2018, while other social media platforms (Vkontakte, Google+, Linkedin) below 0.5%.
In June 2018, Facebook marked its lowest market share (63%), while Youtube noted its highest monthly market share in 2018, reaching almost 10%.
Social media usage varies by region. The chart below shows the average monthly market share in 2018 in USA, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Here are a few highlights:
- The highest drop in Facebook's market share was in the USA--from 76% in December 2017 to 52% in December 2018.
- In Europe Facebook has the most steady market share (min. 70% in July 2018 to max. 77% in November)
- In the USA Facebook is losing out the most to Pinterest (28% market share) and Twitter (7.4%)
- Pinterest is the second most used social media app in the USA and Europe, while Youtube is in Africa and Asia
