DEMOGRAPHICS AND PSYCHOGRAHPICS OF SOCIAL MEDIA 2
Demographics and Psychographics of Social Media
After researching further, I found that the top five social networks in the United States at
the moment with the most active users are Facebook (221.71 million), Instagram (180.77
million), TikTok (140.44 million), Twitter (126.39 million), and Pinterest (110.56 million) (US
Social Media Statistics 2012). Based on this information, it can be easily determined why some
of these social networks are preferred over others by analyzing the demographics and
psychographics of each social network. Demographics are metrics that help us identify and
categorize audiences. These metrics may or may not include gender, age, location, marital status,
number of children, education, profession, employment status, income, etc. "Just like
demographics, psychographics is also a set of metrics, but unlike demographics, psychographics
takes a qualitative approach instead of a quantitative one" (Russo, 2021). The metrics, however,
are based on interests, values, personality, lifestyle, opinion, and things of that nature.
Starting with Facebook, the United States is the second-largest country with the most
active Facebook users, with 179.65 million users. In 2022, the age group of 25 to 34 attracted the
greatest number of Facebook users in the United States. This represents 23.7% of all Facebook
users. Users aged 18 to 24 years old accounted for 18% of the total (Beers, 2022). This shows
that although some people among Gen Z are active on Facebook, it isn’t the most popular for the
generation as a whole. In addition to that, in 2021, more males (56.6%) used Facebook more than
females (43.4%). Facebook is a huge platform that allows people of all backgrounds and ages to
connect on a personal level by sharing their opinions on various subjects and situations. This is a
very effective way to document things such as user interests, values, and opinions of others. In
DEMOGRAPHICS AND PSYCHOGRAHPICS OF SOCIAL MEDIA 3
2022, 41% of users shopped through the app, which is also a way to show what users are most
interested in.
Moreover, Instagram is more frequently accessed by the younger generation. In fact, 70%
of all Instagram stories, both posted and viewed, are by Gen Z. Subsequently, 71% of all
business owners use Instagram as a marketing tool for their business. Equally important, 48.2%
of Instagram’s users are female, while men make up the other 51.8% (Kocak, 2020). Users aged
18 to 24 account for the largest share of Instagram’s advertising audience. Users aged 18 to 24
make up the majority of Instagram's advertising audience. According to a study conducted, a
number of its users Interact with a variety of people to maintain positive interpersonal
relationships (for networking), receive information about close friends and family, maintain
contact with distant friends, contact friends and family, learn about current events in the world,
and connect with and meet people who share similar interests (Kocak, 2020).
Also, for TikTok, Twitter, and Pinterest, ¼ of US TikTok users are aged between 10 and
19. TikTok is well-known among younger users, so it should come as no surprise that the most
popular age range for Twitter users is 10 to 19. This age group accounts for 25% of all users
(Lewin, 2022). According to Meshi, 51% of all TikTok users are male, and the app had the most
downloads in the year 2020, which makes sense being that was the year COVID took a big toll
on society and most people couldn’t leave their homes. About 33% of all TikTok users have an
income of $100,000 or more per year. In February 2020 alone, the app generated $50.4 million in
user spending (Ceci, 2022). With the excessive use of hashtags and keyword searches, it's really
easy to find interest within a specific group of people. In my opinion, TikTok is the most
controversial social platform there is because most of the content put out is highly opinionated.
Like Instragram, the algorithms are based on things you like and search for. For instance, on
DEMOGRAPHICS AND PSYCHOGRAHPICS OF SOCIAL MEDIA 4
TikTok, the kinds of videos you watch all the way through are the types of videos that are more
likely to pop up on your ‘for you’ page.
In addition to that, Twitter and Pinterest are like polar opposites. Twitter is a very vocal
platform, whereas on Pinterest there is very little communication at all, and when there is, it's
either a compliment to something or a question to seek more information. This platform is often
used for inspiration, regardless of what a user may be looking for. Not to mention, Pinterest is far
more visual than Twitter. Just like TikTok, Twitter is too very controversial, a lot of posts made
are opinionated. Based on data taken specifically from adults only, 25% of Twitter users are men
and 22% are women, and the percentage unaccounted for are those under the age of 18. "As for
Pinterest, 46% of users are women, while only 16% are men, and all other users are under the
age of 18. The biggest age group on Twitter is between 18 and 29, with them making up 42% of
all users, while on Pinterest the biggest age group is between 50 and 60 years old, making up
38% of all users" (Pew Research Center, 2021).
Not only that, as far as race is concerned on Twitter, 22% of users identify as white, 29%
as black, 23% as Hispanic, and all other users identify as other. On Pinterest, 34% of users
identify as white, 35% as black, 18% are Hispanic, and all other users identify as other. In
conclusion, as it relates to everyday use and business use, all platforms have pros and cons and
can be more or less beneficial than others depending on both psychographics and demographics.
DEMOGRAPHICS AND PSYCHOGRAHPICS OF SOCIAL MEDIA 5
References
Balaban, H. Ö. (2022). Demographic, Social Network Structure- and Instagram-Use-Related
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https://www.statista.com/statistics/1299771/tiktok-global-user-age-distribution/
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Russo. (2021).MThe Difference Between Demographics and Psychographics. Newstex.
US Social Media Statistics 2022 | US Internet & Mobile Stats. (2022, February 18). The Global
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