These days, a lot of what happens online happens on mobile devices. Many consumers might not even have a laptop or desktop, and rely solely on their phone to consume everything from news on Twitter to shopping on Instagram to watching their favorite shows on YouTube. This means that advertisers must optimize their content to fit into a mobile culture. It also means that consumers spend a lot of time on their phones. Here is a breakdown of typical data usage for a social-savvy 20-something, which reflects how time is spent online in one week:
As a surprise to probably no one, Instagram is at the top of the data usage list with 19%! This speaks to the amount of time spent on Instagram scrolling through the explore page, watching stories and direct messaging with friends. With Instagram TV and the possibility of a stand alone shopping app, Instagram is in it for the long haul and will be continuing to dominate screen time.
Following closely behind Instagram are YouTube and Facebook with 14% and 10%. Any respectable millennial would have a similar line-up, but it’s interesting that so much less time is spent on Twitter and Snapchat. Twitter may have lost its edge due to controversial timeline algorithm or audiences preferring other news outlets. As for Snapchat, the amount of time spent on Instagram says it all! The great migration to Instagram and their stories has definitely had an effect on the amount of time the typical millennial spends on Snapchat.
While the list of the most used apps will change as the social landscape continues to evolve, this snapshot of data usage provides interesting insight into what is important to us right now.
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