Reasons Why People Use Social Media

The popularity of social media surged in the 2020s, transforming from simple online communities to valuable channels of communication…





Social media refers to a web based form of mass media communication on which individuals can create an account and through which they can send messages, share information, ideas, photos or even videos to a selected group of people.

The popularity of social media surged in the 2020s, transforming from simple online communities to valuable channels of communication employed for educational purposes, advocacy, professional networking, marketing and social change.

Data from Statista revealed that as of October 2025, the most used social media platforms are owned by Meta: Facebook with over 3 billion users, followed by WhatsApp and Instagram with both 3 billion users. YouTube owned by Alphabet Inc. is a popular video sharing platform with about 2.5 billion users.

Reasons why people use social media platforms:

.Information and news sharing - social media is a valuable communication tool to easily share and disseminate information and news to a global audience. With the use of smart phones and personal computers, individuals can follow real time news and stay updated whenever and wherever they are.

.Communication and socialization - connecting with relatives, friends, colleagues and even building new relationships with people are easier and faster via social media sites. With instant messaging apps, individuals can chat, make phone or video calls for free to communicate with people all over the world at whatever time of the day.

.Product promotion - driving awareness and advertising merchandise, services, marketing and even promoting individual brands, messaging possible target audience.

.Advocacy and activism - pursuing people’s rights and helping them to express their views.

.Community building - fostering meaningful connection among people for a specific cause or for shared interests.

.Entertainment - viewing photos, music or videos shared by other social media users.

However, over exposure to social media platforms can have the following concerns:

.Self-image anxiety - following on social media specific types of influencers who post images of beauty and perfection, flawless aesthetics, self confidence and success may affect vulnerable media users like adolescents and teenagers who are likely to compare themselves with those followers, thus causing self or body image concerns.

.Addiction to social media - according to a recent study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) teens who use social media more than three hours a day are more likely to have elevated risks of mental concerns. Since adolescence is the second important phase of brain development, social media can greatly affect the growth of the adolescents’ brain.

.Over exposure to social media - the more time media users spend on social media platforms, the more they are exposed to cyber bullying, social anxiety and exposure to content that may not be suitable for them.

.Reality concerns - social media is not reality and reality is different from social media: this important distinction may become difficult to recognize by media users who spend a lot of time on social media.

.Privacy concerns - vulnerable media users like teenagers are more likely to share a lot of private information like their locations, activities and other sensitive information which can be exploited for scamming and phishing purposes.

As a conclusion, communication technologies and social media have transformed the way individuals live, how they connect with relatives and friends and how they consult the news and retrieve information online. With the digital age, it is enough to access the social media to benefit from a lot of convenience, however over exposure to social media presents concerns that should not be underestimated, especially for the vulnerable categories of social media users.



Web References:

Britannica Editors (2026, March 28). social media. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-media

Dalomba, F. (2022, March 1). Pros and Cons of Social Media. Brown Health University. https://www.brownhealth.org/be-well/social-media-good-bad-and-ugly

Miller, S. (2022, June 2). The Addictiveness of Social Media: How Teens Get Hooked. Jefferson Health. https://www.jeffersonhealth.org/your-health/living-well/the-addictiveness-of-social-media-how-teens-get-hooked#:~:text=Social%20media%20can%20have%20a%20powerful%20effect,brain%20to%20constantly%20seek%20out%20immediate%20gratification.

Statista. (n.d.). Most popular social networks worldwide, as of October 2025, by number of monthly active users. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/#:~:text=Meta%20Platforms%20owns%20four%20of%20the%20biggest,active%20users%20each:%20Facebook%20(core%20platform)%2C%20WhatsApp%2C