Instagram and TikTok are the social networks that have grown the most in Spain in the last year, although WhatsApp has remained the most used application since 2017. By number of users, TikTok is the one that is growing the most, increasing up to 13 points since 2020. That is, if in 2020 up to 16% of Internet users had used the application, in the last year this percentage has increased to 30% . This is reflected in the ‘Social Networks Study 2022’ by IAB Spain, which also points out the great progress and penetration that Tinder has had among Spanish Internet users in the last year by entering the top five of the applications where users spend the most time. throughout the day.
While TikTok has gone from being in sixth place to occupying fourth, Tinder has managed to advance many more positions. In just one year it has gone from being in position 11 to occupying fifth place, thus placing both applications ahead of YouTube and Twitter in terms of frequency of daily use. This advancement of the dating application coincided with the pandemic period in which it was more difficult to meet new people in leisure places, which may explain, according to IAB, the consolidation of the app.
The study, which for the first time has included minors between 12 and 17 years old, estimates that 85% of Internet users between 12 and 70 years old use Social Networks, which represents around 28 million Spaniards. It thus shows a clear consolidation of the use of social networks in Spain, especially in the age group between 18 and 24 years old, where a penetration level of 93% is reached. The target that falls the most is, on the other hand, the one that corresponds to the age group between 56 and 70 years old, registering a penetration of 79%. However, and as the presenters of the study have pointed out, it is among women where penetration reaches 88%, compared to 83% for men.
And although WhatsApp is still the preferred application in all age groups, TikTok is the second application preferred by minors between 12 and 17 years old, while in the group between 18 and 24 years old, those who spend the most hours connected to social networks, only 6% of those surveyed like this network. This percentage drops to 1% when talking about the age group between 55 and 70 years old. But this growth of TikTok, for the Managing Director Europe of Epsilon Technologies, Daniel Devai, “evidences the paradigm shift that we are experiencing in terms of content formats.”
What the study, presented this Wednesday in Madrid, reflects, therefore, is that depending on age and interests, each target chooses or prefers a social network. Thus, while TikTok is making its way among young people, Facebook is recognized and used by older age groups. And although the social network continues to lose followers, as has been happening since 2019, it is still the second most liked application by Internet users between 55 and 70 years old. The same does not happen in the younger age groups. Only 1% of Internet users between 12 and 24 years old like it.
Less time on networks
Despite everything, the intensity of use of social networks is slightly lower than in previous years. Specifically, each Spaniard dedicates an average of one hour and ten minutes of use per day, with Internet users between 18 and 24 years old being the ones who dedicate the most time to using these products. And the technical support with which these applications are enjoyed is no small matter.
As in previous editions, the mobile phone continues to be the main device to connect to social networks (97%), followed by the computer (93%) and the Smart TV (68%), influenced by the time of confinement experienced and the need to consume audiovisual content on platforms such as YouTube. The tablet is the device that falls this year, while the Smart Watch is the device that grows the most compared to last year.
There is also a difference in the number of applications that each person uses throughout a day. Thus, although with little difference, it is women who are more active when managing 4.7 networks compared to 4.4 for men. By age, young people between 12 and 24 years old are the users who use the greatest number of networks. And, as BELEN has pointed out, “as age increases, the number of networks used decreases.”
On the other hand, the accounts that users follow the most are those in their immediate environment, followed by “influencers”, and in third position are brands, according to this study, which reflects that half of the users are bothered by the advertising on networks and that a quarter likes to see advertising with content related to their interests.