Social Media & Twenty Twenty-Three (2023)

Social media was originally designed to connect people who are far apart, but it has increasingly become a platform for others to keep tabs on each other’s lives. In 2023, social media seems to be dominated by young people setting trends. Among the various social media apps, Instagram has become the most popular one, with more usage rates than other apps. Facebook, on the other hand, has experienced a decline in its average usage rate, from 47 minutes to 38 minutes, and it peaked at 54 minutes in 2019. This is due to people switching to other social media accounts. In the case of Instagram, the average usage rate per person is 2 hours and 33 minutes per day, and in the case of teenagers, it goes up to 3 hours and 37 minutes per day. This is because they spend a lot of time scrolling down their feed, sharing and posting reels, posts, and stories, and writing comments. Instagram has 2.35 billion registered users as of now. The millennial generation will own Twitter in 2023. Research indicates that a mere 3% of youngsters belonging to Generation Z claim Twitter as their preferred or most used social media platform. Interestingly, only 31.5% of Twitter users are female, whereas 68.5% of users are male at the moment. The typical individual watches 41.9 minutes of YouTube content per day, and mobile devices account for 70% of all views, with desktop and laptop computers accounting for 30%. Compared to other social media platforms, YouTube is the most “actively used” website, indicating that registered users frequently visit the site daily.

There is a limit to everything, and exceeding that limit can have negative impacts. Instagram is now promoting racism, adult content, not adhering to copyright laws, and posting deepfakes. YouTube removes videos that violate guidelines, making it the best social media platform. X provided crucial updates and aid during Cyclone Michaung, reporting on Chennai’s weather status and providing assistance to flood-prone areas. Social media can be used positively or negatively. It can create a lot of commotion if used negatively. For instance, the Deepfakes that surfaced on the internet caused a huge controversy in India. Similarly, the use of AI voice changers, which imitate the voices of famous personalities and politicians, also caused a lot of commotion. It’s important to use social media responsibly to avoid causing harm to others. It is our responsibility to create a better environment for the upcoming generation. Therefore, we must be socially responsible and mindful of what we post.