Social Media: Still Growing, Still Watching, Still Somehow Not Dead

Despite repeated rumours that social media is on its deathbed, whispered in the corners of digital detox forums and echo chambers of Gen X Facebook groups, it turns out the thing is still alive. Very alive. Like, over 5 billion accounts and counting. That’s more than the number of people who know how to swim. Or read.

The Not-So-Quiet Undeath of Social Media

Every year someone declares that social media is “over.” And every year, 266 million more people sign up to prove them wrong. As of 2024, we’re at 5.07 billion active accounts, which is roughly 62.3% of humanity, or 94.2% of all internet users. And no, that’s not including your dog’s Instagram or your uncle’s third sock-themed Twitter handle.

Growth may have slowed from the chaotic teenage years of 20%+ annual expansion, but the numbers are still marching up with all the subtlety of a Black Friday crowd. Just less trampling. Usually.

How Long Are We Staring Into the Void?

The average user now spends 2 hours and 23 minutes per day scrolling, tapping, doomscrolling, rage-liking, and occasionally commenting “bro 💀” on a stranger’s video. Gen Z, the undefeated heavyweight champions of screen time, clock in at nearly 3 hours daily. Boomers manage a polite 1.5 hours, most of it spent trying to remember their login.

TikTok tops the attention economy leaderboard with 34 hours per user per month, proving conclusively that short-form vertical video has consumed our collective ability to read subtitles. YouTube remains the go-to for watching people explain things we already Googled. Facebook? Well, it’s still there. Mostly for Marketplace arguments and “back in my day” memes.

Platform Stereotypes That Are Mostly True

Let’s break down the big players by what they’re really known for:

• Facebook: 3 billion users, mostly Millennials and older. Now less about poking and more about arguing with your cousin over pineapple on pizza.

• YouTube: 2.7 billion monthly users. Everyone uses it. Yes, even your nan, probably to watch slow cooker recipes or 8-hour rain sounds.

• Instagram: Where 2 billion people pretend their lives are perfect. Dominated by 18–34s, filtered beyond recognition.

• TikTok: The Gen Z hangout. 1.6–2 billion users. Short videos, shorter attention spans, and longer conspiracy rabbit holes.

• X (formerly Twitter): A rebrand so edgy it cut its own user base. Mostly 25–34-year-old men shouting into the void. Still somehow functioning.

• Snapchat: For the under-24 crowd who think Instagram Stories are for boomers.

• LinkedIn: One billion members telling you how “blessed” they are to be promoted after three months of pretending to know what Power BI is.

Threads, Metaverse, AI, Welcome to the Party

While legacy platforms lumber along, new ones are sprouting like weeds in the algorithm. Threads (Meta’s texty TikTok-adjacent thing) went from 130 million to 320 million users faster than you can say “another app I won’t open.” Meanwhile, Reddit has become the digital home of Gen Z existentialism, conspiracy threads, and overly detailed Lego reviews.

Behind the scenes, AI is quietly running everything. 80% of your “recommended content” is now decided by a machine that knows you better than your friends do. Possibly better than you do. By 2030, the AI-in-social market will balloon to over $9 billion, which sounds great until we remember we’ll be too busy trying to decode whether our friends are real or deepfakes.

And then there’s the Metaverse, where social media plans to become fully immersive, fully branded, and possibly fully unhinged. A $100 billion opportunity for marketers. A $0 opportunity for anyone hoping to stay mentally well.

Decentralised Platforms: For When You’re Done Being the Product

Tired of being watched, tracked, sold to, and occasionally shadowbanned? There’s Mastodon, BlueSky, and other noble decentralised platforms. They offer freedom, privacy, and the thrilling experience of being followed by precisely nobody. It’s like moving to a cool new city with no public transport and no one you know.

Still, these Web3-ish platforms represent a genuine rebellion. Users want more control, less surveillance, and maybe even fewer pyramid scheme DMs. A high bar, sure, but one worth aiming for.

The Outlook: More Video, Less Sanity

If your content isn’t video-first, your audience probably isn’t second. TikTok and YouTube are setting the tone, and that tone is loud, fast, and frequently involves someone getting hit in the face with a tortilla.

Platforms that can’t keep up, cough Facebook cough, will still exist. But their relevance may quietly decline like a local pub after a Wetherspoons opens next door.

As for what’s next? Expect:

• Even more AI deciding what you see

• More immersive virtual experiences you didn’t ask for

• A growing hunger for privacy, authenticity, and anything not made by Meta

• And probably a few more rebrands, because nothing says “please ignore the fires” like a shiny new logo

TL;DR:
Social media isn’t dying. It’s evolving. Into what? We’re not entirely sure. But it’ll probably involve avatars, targeted ads, and three separate platforms yelling at you to go live. Welcome to the future, don’t forget to like, comment, and share your data.