Instagram remains most popular social media platform as TikTok continues to grow
The number of TikTok users in Belgium continues to grow, according to the sixth edition of the SMI Barometer, an annual survey of social media use by under-40s conducted by Artevelde University College and trade federation Comeos.
TikTok and WhatsApp are the only platforms that attracted more users last year. In 2020, the video platform was particularly popular among teenage girls, but today 71 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds in Belgium use TikTok daily.
Facebook, meanwhile, experienced a reverse trend. In 2020, 85 per cent of people surveyed were daily users, compared to 43 per cent today. X saw a fall of 3.1 per cent in the number of daily users.
Instagram remains the most popular social media platform. More than eight in 10 under-25s use the app every day, with nine in 10 women using it daily. Three-quarters of Belgian men under 25 watch videos on YouTube every day.
Demand for transparency
For the first time, the SMI Barometer also asked about artificial intelligence. A third of those surveyed say they have seen AI-generated content online, while more than a quarter say they are not sure. There is a demand for transparency: 65 per cent believe AI use should be disclosed by the publisher.
The survey also showed that around three-quarters of young people are actively taking steps to limit their social media use. The most common strategies are deleting apps, turning off notifications and limiting screen time.
The SMI Barometer is the result of an online survey of 4,516 people aged between 16 and 39.
© PHOTO PRESS ASSOCIATION
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