Internet and social media patterns tracked worldwide

Half of the world is now connected to the internet, a new report has found.

Hootsuite and We Are Social have released the Digital in 2017 report, which explores social media and digital trends around the world.

While 50% of people from the 238 countries examined are now connected to the internet, global social media use has also increased by 21% in the past year.

In addition, over 90% of social media users are now accessing these platforms via mobile.

“One of the greatest opportunities of a digitally connected world is the ability to have immediate conversations, wherever and whenever customers want,” said Penny Wilson, CMO at Hootsuite.  

“Social media not only enables organisations to amplify its brand, but also build trust, credibility and human relationships at scale. It is now as much the responsibility of the top executive as the social media manager.”

North and South America saw 8% year-on-year growth in regional internet penetration. The US alone contributed 22 million (25%) of the 88 million new social media users across the region in the past year. Increased use of smartphones and social messaging has driven a significant shift in how people communicate.

“Half of the world’s population is now online, which is a testament to the speed with which digital connectivity is helping to improve people’s lives,” said Simon Kemp, We Are Social.  

“The increase in internet users in developing economies is particularly encouraging. Given this latest data, it’s probably time for us to stop referring to social as ‘new media’ and integrate it more seamlessly into our day-to-day activities.”

The report compiles data from the world’s largest studies of online behaviour, conducted by organisations including GlobalWebIndex, GSMA Intelligence, Statista and Akamai in a comprehensive state of social media reference.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Sdecoret

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