Social media refers to online platforms where users can share information and connect with virtual communities through text, video, photos, and other content. As of 2024, social media had more than five billion global users, which is equal to more than 62% of the world population.1 This includes apps or websites designed for messaging and chat, social platforms (like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok), and community forums, such as Reddit and Discord.
Key Takeaways
- Social media is made up of websites, apps, and other platforms that allow users to share information and ideas with virtual communities through text, photos, videos, and more.
- It is used by more than 5 billion people globally for personal and professional reasons.1
- Social media has been credited with connecting users, allowing for community building and sharing important information.
- Critics say social media damages adolescents’ mental health, facilitates misinformation, and increases opportunities for child sexual abuse.
- The largest social media platforms are Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok.
Origins and Evolution of Social Media
Early social media platforms, such as MySpace and LiveJournal, were designed for people to connect with friends and family. MySpace, which allowed users to create personal profile pages and share information about themselves, became the first network to reach one million active monthly users in 2004.2 LiveJournal, a platform where users could share journal-like entries with either public or private networks, reached over 2.5 million active accounts in 2005.3
Social media use grew rapidly in the 2000s and early 2010s as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) became popular. Like MySpace, Facebook users create profiles to share information about themselves, while other users leave comments. Initially used for socializing among college-age users, social media became popular with younger and older users.
In 2006, X’s launch included its feed feature, where posts from accounts that a user followed were aggregated onto a single page.4 Facebook launched its own News Feed feature.5 The news feed became a standard feature for many social media platforms. More users began posting links to external sites, where news stories, current events, and product pages could be shared with personal updates. Users could interact with each other’s content, including liking, sharing, and commenting on posts.
During this time, social media platforms began adding business-specific profile pages and the ability to purchase targeted ads that other users would see, making them more business-friendly and increasing revenue for the platforms.6
Social media users began spending more time scrolling through feeds and consuming daily news and commentary on current events. By 2024, just over half (54%) of adults in the U.S. said they get their news from social media “sometimes” or “often.” Only 28% of U.S. adults say they “never” get the news from social media.7 Globally, only 22% of consumers get their news directly from news websites or apps, with younger news consumers the least likely to do so.8
How Social Media Is Used Today
As users continued to spend more time on social media sites, different types of social media platforms evolved. They can be broadly categorized as:
- Social networks: Facebook, NextDoor
- Microblogging: X, BlueSky, Mastodon, Threads
- Long-form blogging: Substack, Ghost
- Professional networking: LinkedIn, Behance, ResearchGate
- Video and photo sharing: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat
- Visual curation and search: Pinterest, Houzz, DeviantArt
- Messaging: WhatsApp, Signal, WeChat, Marco Polo
- Community forums: Reddit, Discord, Clubhouse
Platforms are oriented toward different uses and users. Some may be used purely for socializing, while others are oriented toward professional network building or job-hunting. Some platforms allow users to connect with others who share their political views or leisure hobbies.
Many social media users are acting in a professional capacity. For instance:
- Actors and writers can use social media to connect with fans of their work
- Politicians use them to communicate with constituents and voters
- Nonprofit organizations may use them to promote charitable causes or collect donations
- Government agencies can use social media to communicate with the public during emergencies.
Posting content on social media, either sponsored by a business or funded through follower support, can also be a job in itself, separate from any outside work that the social media posts are promoting. These types of social media users are generally referred to as influencers or content creators. One in five social media users consider themselves professional content creators.10
Social media is also an important form of marketing for many companies. Businesses use social media to identify and capitalize on consumer trends, engage with customers, collect consumer data, and pay for targeted advertising. Many also work with influencers, paying content creators to promote their products or services directly to the influencers’ audience or followers.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media
Pros
- Connectivity
- Build community
- Affordable advertising
Cons
- Disinformation/misinformation
- Sleep disruption
- Mental health impact
- Child sexual exploitation
Advantages Explained
- Connectivity: Social media platforms allow people to access global information and connect with friends and family at a distance. It can allow users to find niche communities around their interests or current needs, such as neighborhood forums or job searching.
- Build community: Using social media is correlated to having more friends and a personal network with greater diversity, especially in emerging economies. Social media users are more likely to interact with those who are different from them across categories of income, political party, religion, or ethnicity.11
- Affordable advertising: Small businesses and creators can reach potential customers at low price points through targeted ads and influencer marketing. More than 200 million small businesses use Facebook.12 In 2024, online advertising, including social media and search advertising, accounted for 59% of global ad spending; that number is projected to grow to 61% in 2026.13
Disadvantages Explained
- Disinformation/misinformation: The ease of sharing links and posts on social media can facilitate the spread of disinformation or misinformation. For instance, misinformation about Hurricane Helene hampered recovery efforts in the southern U.S. and harmed local communities impacted by the disaster in 2024.15
- Sleep disruption: Social media use is correlated with less and poor quality sleep, especially among teens and young adults.16American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Are You TikTok Tired? 93% of Gen Z Admit to Staying Up Past Their Bedtime Due to Social Media.”17 Poor sleep is associated with a variety of health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and depression.
- Mental health impact: Research has also found a direct correlation between more social media use and higher rates of depression among teens.17 Other mental health concerns related to social media use include bullying, peer pressure, spreading rumors about peers and friends, and the creation of unrealistic expectations based on exposure to other people’s lives.18
- Child sexual abuse: In 2022, research found that more than one in six U.S. children experience sexual abuse online. Studies in other countries have found even higher rates. Social media can provide a platform for child sexual abuse and exploitation including grooming, stalking, sharing of explicit materials, revenge pornography, and nonconsensual sexting.1920