If there is one certainty in the digital life of Italians, is that We are always online. Sure, with a few minutes less than last year, but the substance does not change: the 90% of the population has access to the Internet and passes on average almost 6 hours a day sailing (5 hours and 39 minutes, to be more precise, compared to 5 hours and 49 minutes the previous year). And social media? They remain our favorite pastime, with 2 hours daily dedicated to scroll feeds, watch reels and comment on posts. In total, the active users on social platforms are as many as 42 million, equal to 71% of the population, with an average of 6 different platforms used every month.
Even this year We Are Socialin collaboration with Meltwater, has packaged its long-awaited report “Digital 2025“, a real one X-ray of the digital universe. The document analyses the main evolutions of the web and social media, both nationally and globally, telling us how (and how much) Italians navigate, communicate and purchase online.
TikTok dominates time spent rankings
If we were to elect the king of social media based on time spent from Italians on the platforms, there would be no doubts: TikTok wins hands down with almost 30 hours of monthly use. The following YouTube (17 hours), Instagram (15 hours and 9 minutes) and Facebook (15 hours and 4 minutes). WhatsApp is just below with 14 hours a month. In short, between dances, tutorials and viral videos, Italians seem to have found their TikTok new personal television.
Most Used Apps: Dominate the Meta Universe
In the panorama of social platforms, WhatsApp remains the most used app by Italians (90% monthly usage), followed by Facebook and Instagram (both at 75%). Messenger is declining (48%), while TikTok continues its rise with a +3% compared to last year, reaching 44% monthly usage.
Social Networks: Between Entertainment and Information
Why do we use social media? The report confirms that the main motivation is entertainment: 46% of users use them to fill their free time, while 47% consult them for keep informed. The use of social media remains in third place (but decreasing) for keep in touch with friends and family (43%). An interesting fact also concerns the growing role of social media in Brand and product research: they now compete directly with traditional search engines and official brand websites with 1 in 4 people declaring that they discover brands, products and services thanks to sponsored content (Ads). Digital advertising is also rising (+10%) with the online marketing now represents 57% of all advertising investments. And Italians are becoming more spendthrift: in fact, it turns out that 45% of those who surf social networks make shop online at least once a week, with growing spending: the fashion sector remains the most profitable, but tourism also shows a positive increase.
Il video remains the favourite format for Italians: 43% of users watch music videos, 35% have fun with memes and viral content, while 33% follow tutorial. Also Espaitec's continue their climb, with 18% of the population listening to them on a weekly basis.
World numbers
Globally, the social media count 206 million new users (+4%), bringing the total to cover 64% of the world's population. The average time spent on social media is 2 hours and 21 minutes per day, with Facebook still in the lead in terms of number of users, followed by YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Even the percentage of people connected to the Internet continues to rise: Today, 68% of the world's population is online, an increase of 2,5% over the previous year.
“In a context in which the time spent online overall decreases, but the hours people dedicate to social media remain stable, these platforms confirm themselves as the places where contemporary culture is generated and spread, where people form their own opinions, they inform and satisfy a significant part of their daily entertainment needs” they explain Gabriele Cucinella, Stefano Maggi e Octavius Nava, CEO Eu of We Are Social. “For brands, today more than ever, the challenge is not just to be there, but to be able to remain truly relevant, understanding cultural dynamics and participating in conversations in an authentic and meaningful way”.
