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In 2024, younger people dedicated considerably more time to social media than their older counterparts. Among 18 to 24-year-olds, nearly half spent between * and ** hours per week on social media, and roughly ** percent exceeded ** hours. In contrast, ** percent of individuals aged 45 to 54 limited their social media usage to less than **** hours per week. Generally, social media usage declines with age. This is likely because older generations are not digital natives and did not grow up immersed in the world of social media.

Safe and social

German internet users went on social media for a variety of reasons, whether for interactive purposes or not.Ìý** percent used it to stay in touch with friends and family. This can happen via a built-in private messaging function that many social media apps have, as well as sharing or commenting on each other's content. Around ** percent also used social media for reading news stories, as this may offer quicker access and sometimes the desired shorter consumption format. As time has passed and social media has become firmly entrenched in the daily lives of younger generations, concerns are raised around the world about the long-term impact on mental health. International discussions on both government and user level were further fueled after Australia passed a social media ban for users aged under 16 years. This ban will take effect later in 2025.

In the future

Considering how widespread social media is and how easily accessible, especially from mobile devices, user numbers will likely only grow. This raises additional challenges, such as ensuring safe use among various age groups and preventing addictive behavior. Germany was actually further down on the list compared to other countries around the world in terms of the number of social network users. As of 2025, almost **** million social media users were active in the country, with close to 72 million predicted for 2030. This would be a significant development for a population of currently around ** million. Among European countries, social network penetration was highest in .Ìý