Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Consistent growth in global Facebook user numbers continues
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- Figure 1: Facebook active users, December 2011-December 2017
- Twitter’s monthly active users growth stalls
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- Figure 2: Twitter monthly active users, Q4 2016-Q4 2017
- The consumer
- Facebook continues to be the most used by some distance
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- Figure 3: Recent social media network usage, March 2017 and April 2018
- Half of Facebook and Snapchat users using the platform several times daily
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- Figure 4: Daily social media use, by network, April 2018
- Two thirds of people use smartphones to access social networks
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- Figure 5: Devices used to access social media networks, by gender, April 2018
- Over four in 10 use smartphones most often to access social media
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- Figure 6: Device used most frequently to access social media networks, April 2018
- High-quality smartphone cameras have driven content sharing
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- Figure 7: Content most often shared on social media, April 2018
- Nearly half of people have made some effort to cut down on social media
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- Figure 8: Trends in cutting down social media use, April 2018
- Saving time is the main reason for cutting down
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- Figure 9: Reasons for cutting down on social media use, by gender, April 2018
- Lack of trust in Facebook emerges after data sharing scandal
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- Figure 10: Correspondence analysis of social networks, April 2018
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Has the Cambridge Analytica data sharing scandal hit people’s trust in social media?
- The facts
- The implications
- Is the digital detox trend hitting social media?
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Rising device ownership has driven social media access points
- Social media is the most popular smartphone activity
- Consistent growth in Facebook global user numbers continues
- YouTube experiencing criticism over advertising
- Twitter’s monthly active users growth stalls
- Negative response to Snapchat’s app redesign
Market Drivers
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- Rising device ownership has driven social media access points
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- Figure 11: Ownership of smartphones and tablets, January 2013-December 2017
- Social media is the most popular smartphone activity
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- Figure 12: Most popular smartphone activities, by age, February 2018
- The emphasis on improved smartphone cameras
- Digital advertising forecasts
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- Figure 13: The UK digital advertising market, 2012-22
- The most popular apps are social media networks
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- Figure 14: Regularity of app use, July 2017
Major Players – Facebook Inc
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- Background
- Consistent growth in global user numbers continues
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- Figure 15: Facebook active users, December 2011-December 2017
- Advertising revenues underpinning impressive growth
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- Figure 16: Facebook, key financial data, 2011-17
- Data sharing and Cambridge Analytica
- Fallout from the scandal continues
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- Figure 17: Facebook’s April 2018 message on data sharing
- Cryptocurrency advertising banned from Facebook
- Introduction of a ‘downvote’ button
- Increasing focus on original video content through Facebook Watch
- The company continues to invest in virtual reality
Major Players – YouTube
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- Background
- Recent activity
- YouTube Red expected to launch in the UK
- Criticism over advertising
- YouTube music videos hacked
- Live TV service expanded
Major Players – Twitter
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- Background
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- Figure 18: Barack Obama’s most liked Tweet of all time
- Figure 19: Twitter monthly active users, Q4 2016-Q4 2017
- Recent activity
- New character limit doubles potential Tweet length
- Twitter moves to fight spam and automation
- Bookmarks introduced for saving Tweets
- Twitter removes malicious accounts
Major Players – Snapchat
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- Background
- Recent activity
- Negative response to Snapchat’s app redesign
- Kylie Jenner Tweet hits Snapchat value
- Tencent buys a 12% stake
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Overall social media usage up on a year ago
- Facebook continues to be the most used by some distance
- Half of Facebook and Snapchat users using the platform several times daily
- Two thirds of people use smartphones to access social networks
- High-quality smartphone cameras have driven content sharing
- Over seven in 10 both share and view content, while one in five only view
- Nearly half of people have made some effort to cut down on social media
- Two thirds of 16-24-year-olds have tried to reduce social media use
- Lack of trust in Facebook emerges after data sharing scandal
Social Media Usage
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- Overall social media usage up on a year ago
- Facebook continues to be the most used by some distance
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- Figure 20: Recent social media network usage, March 2017 and April 2018
- Facebook usage peaks amongst 25-34-year-olds
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- Figure 21: Recent Facebook usage, by gender and age, April 2018
- Eight in 10 people aged 16-24 use YouTube
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- Figure 22: Recent YouTube usage, by gender and age, April 2018
- A third of people have used Twitter in the last three months
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- Figure 23: Recent Twitter usage, by gender and age, April 2018
- Three in 10 women have recently used Instagram
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- Figure 24: Recent Instagram usage, by gender and age, April 2018
- Snapchat has the biggest age split of the networks analysed
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- Figure 25: Recent Snapchat usage, by gender and age, April 2018
- Half of Facebook and Snapchat users using the platform several times daily
- Social and media networks designing apps to maximise frequent use
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- Figure 26: Frequency of social media use, by network, April 2018
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- Figure 27: Daily social media use, by network, April 2018
Social Media Access Points
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- Two thirds of people use smartphones to access social networks
- Seven in 10 women access social media on a smartphone
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- Figure 28: Devices used to access social media networks, by gender, April 2018
- Two thirds of people use two or more social media access points
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- Figure 29: Repertoire of social media access points, April 2018
- Over four in 10 use smartphones most often to access social media
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- Figure 30: Device used most frequently to access social media networks, April 2018
- 65% of 16-24-year-olds access social media via smartphones most often
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- Figure 31: Device used most frequently to access social media networks, by age, April 2018
Content on Social Media
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- High-quality smartphone cameras have driven content sharing
- Nearly a quarter of people share written content most often
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- Figure 32: Content most often shared on social media, April 2018
- Six in 10 people aged 16-24 include photos in their most shared content
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- Figure 33: Popularity of sharing photos and images on social media, by gender and age, April 2018
- Over seven in 10 both share and view content, while one in five only view
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- Figure 34: Tendency to share or view content, by age, April 2018
- People are most likely to view photos and images
- Social networks are increasingly pushing video content
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- Figure 35: Viewing habits on social media networks, by gender, April 2018
Trends in Cutting Down
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- The rise of the digital detox
- Nearly half of people have made some effort to cut down on social media
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- Figure 36: Trends in cutting down social media use, April 2018
- Men are twice as likely to have deleted social media accounts
- Two thirds of 16-24-year-olds have tried to reduce social media use…
- …but they are less likely to take a break from all social media
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- Figure 37: Trends in cutting down social media use, by age, April 2018
- Saving time is the main reason for cutting down
- A third of those cutting down have concerns over personal data
- Over a quarter are cutting down due to the extent of fake news
- Two in 10 reducing social media use are worried about mental health
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- Figure 38: Reasons for cutting down on social media use, by gender, April 2018
Perceptions of Social Media
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- Lack of trust in Facebook emerges after data sharing scandal
- Women have a more upbeat perception of Facebook and Instagram
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- Figure 39: Correspondence analysis of social networks, April 2018
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- Figure 40: Words associated with social networks, April 2018
- Over a quarter of 16-24-year-olds lack trust in Facebook
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- Figure 41: Proportion of people deeming social media networks “untrustworthy”, by gender and age, April 2018
- Perceptions are far more positive among recent users
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- Figure 42: Words associated with social networks, by recent social media usage, April 2018
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- Correspondence analysis methodology
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