Social Media Usage Survey 2025: Stats, Questions, & Survey Insights

by
Chris
May 2, 2025

Social Media Usage Survey

In 2025, social media is no longer a distraction; it’s a lifestyle! Social platforms that were once used for socializing are now used for growing businesses, dating, politics, and daily communication. 

Here’s what the latest stats reveal:

Category Statistics
Global Users 5.24 billion active social media users globally
Daily Usage Time The average user spends 2 hours and 21 minutes per day on social media
Most Popular Platform Facebook: 3.065 billion monthly active users
Gen Z’s Favourite Platform 47% of U.S. teens say TikTok is their favourite social media app
Mental Health Concerns 71% of Gen Z and 61% of Millennials say social media impacts their well-being
Cyberbullying Nearly 1 in 2 U.S. teens (ages 13–17) say they’ve faced at least one type of cyberbullying behaviour online
Influencer Impact 3% of consumers would buy a product in-store if promoted by a celebrity, compared to 60% for an influencer
Gen Z Screen Time Gen Z averages 2 hours and 59 minutes of social media use daily

Social Media Survey Usage Questions

General Usage Questions

These questions broaden the behavioral picture of how often people use social media and the average time they spend on it. Brands can use this data to optimize posting schedules and outreach strategies.

  • Which social media platforms do you use frequently? (Daily, Several times a week, Once a week, Rarely, Never)
  • How often do you use social media?
  • On which device do you usually access social media? (Phone, Tablet, Desktop, etc.)
  • What time do you usually check your social media accounts? (Select all that apply.)
  • Do you feel you lose track of time while using social media?
  • How many social platforms are you on?
  • Is social media the first thing you check in the morning?

Preferred platforms

These questions reveal on which platform your audience spends most of their time, helping you focus on your content, advertising, or engagement efforts where they matter most.

  • Which is your primary social media platform?
  • Rank the platforms you use from most to least (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, etc).
  • Are there any social platforms you have stopped using recently? 
  • Do you use different platforms for different purposes?

Content preference and interaction

These questions cover what type of content your audience enjoys, such as videos, memes, tutorials, news, personal stories, and what accounts they tend to follow. 

  • What types of content do you engage with most frequently on social media?
  • Overall, how would you rate the quality of content on your most frequently used social media platform?
  • How often do you interact with posts by liking, sharing, or commenting?
  • Do you follow any brands and businesses on social media? 
  • Have you ever posted or shared content you created on social media, such as reviews, photos, or stories?

Exposure to Cyberbullying and Online Harassment

These questions explore the dark side of social media, which is cyberbullying and online harassment, and how they impact the user experience. 

  • On which social media platforms have you experienced cyberbullying? (Select all that apply)
  • Did you report the cyberbullying to anyone (e.g., the platform, a friend, a trusted adult)?
  • Can you describe what happened during your experience with cyberbullying?
  • What do you think should be done to help prevent or stop cyberbullying online?
  • Has social media ever affected your mental health positively or negatively?

Privacy and Data Protection

These questions aim to understand how aware users are of their privacy and how they protect it.  

  • Are you concerned about your privacy on social media?
  • Have you ever changed privacy settings on any social media platform?
  • Have you ever experienced a privacy or security issue on any social media platform? 
  • Have you ever been a victim of a scam or fraud on social media?
  • Do you trust social media with your personal information? 

Social Media and Personal Productivity

These questions highlight the importance of balance between social life and productivity.

  • Have you ever tried to limit your social media use to stay productive? 
  • Do you think social media takes up too much of your time?

Do you use social media as a break or a distraction? 

  • Have you ever deactivated your social media accounts to stay focused in life? 
  • Do you use productivity apps to manage your social media usage?

Read - Engaging Social Media Survey Questions for Better Insights

Psychological Effects and the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

Social media can trigger so many emotions, such as FOMO (feeling like you’re always missing out). These questions are about social media's mental and emotional impact on users.

  • Do you ever feel you are missing out in life when you see other people's life posts on social media?
  • Do you compare your life with others on social media? 
  • Have you ever felt anxious or left out due to social media? 
  • Have you ever taken a break from social media for your mental peace? 

Who Should Use Social Media Usage Surveys? (Use Cases)

Here are some  uses cases of social media surveys: 

E-commerce brands: Use them to launch product launches during high-traffic times, personalize content for each platform, and see what people think about your ads and reviews.

Educators and digital wellness advocates: Monitor how social media affects attention span, anxiety, FOMO, and sleep cycles, especially among students.

HR teams and internal comms: These are used to reduce employee digital burnouts, improve digital communication, and boost productivity and morale.

Content Creators and Influencers: Painoint what their audience actually wants to see, get feedback on engagement dips, and offer exclusive content where it's most wanted.

Market Researchers and analysts: Forecast platform adoption rates, support product development and UX testing, and feed findings into broader consumer research.

Political campaigns and advocacy groups: Gauge where voters get their news, how much they trust social media content, and what issues resonate most online.

Future Trends (Where Social Media is Headed)

Emerging Trends Insights
Private Communities Users are moving away from public feeds and toward smaller, trusted circles
Niche Platform Resurgence Platforms like Tumblr and Pinterest are gaining momentum among Gen Z
AI-Generated Content Brands and creators are scaling production with AI tools
Screen Time & Lifestyle Teen social media habits are now tied to health outcomes

How to create a social media usage survey with TheySaid

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating your Social Media Usage Survey with TheySaid: 

Step 1: Sign In to TheySaid

Head over to TheySaid and log in to your account. If you’re new here, signing up takes less than a minute.

Step 2: Let AI Build Your Survey

Tell TheySaid you want to create a Social Media Usage Survey. Just describe your goals, like understanding platform preference, screen time, or user concerns, and AI will generate relevant, research-backed questions automatically. You can tweak or add custom ones, too.

Step 3: Choose Your Distribution Method

Whether you want to reach users on Instagram, Slack, email, or via QR codes at events, TheySaid makes it effortless. Choose your preferred method and let the platform handle the logistics.

Step 4: Let AI Engage Resondants 

TheySaid's AI engages with respondents in real time, posing follow-up questions and revealing more in-depth insights. Instead of getting a one-word response, you get meaningful conversations. 

Step 5: Analyze Results Instantly

No more spending hours sifting through responses! TheySaid’s AI summarizes trends at a glance, detects key action items, and provides follow-up recommendations.

Key Takeaways

  • Use survey data to identify when your audience is most active and align your content schedule accordingly.
  • Tailor campaigns for Gen Z on TikTok and Millennials on Facebook for better engagement and ROI.
  • Showcase behind-the-scenes, real-life stories to ease feelings of inadequacy and boost connection.
  • Use TheySaid’s AI to create surveys, engage respondents in real time, and instantly analyze actionable insights.

FAQs

Why conduct a social media usage survey?

Social media usage surveys help uncover audience behavior, preferences, mental health concerns, and platform trends, which are crucial for brands, educators, researchers, and content creators to make data-driven decisions.

What kind of questions should be included in social media surveys?

Cover areas like frequency, content interaction, privacy concerns, mental health impacts, platform loyalty, and FOMO.

How often should I run a social media usage survey?

At least once every 6–12 months to keep up with evolving user behavior, platform changes, and new trends.

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