The integral role of social media apps in our daily lives but notes that these apps faced challenges in remaining relevant in the year 2023.
social media apps are crucial in the daily lives of millions, their appeal can diminish rapidly over time.
The information highlights the global rise in the number of social media users, reaching around 4.8 billion. Despite this growth, certain popular platforms are experiencing a decline in favor.
On average, users are reported to engage with six to seven different platforms each month, spending approximately two hours and 24 minutes per day on them.
While social media apps are integral to daily life, their popularity can decline swiftly. According to a report by TRG Datacentres, Meta’s Threads app, which initially gained 100 million users in five days, experienced an 80 percent drop in daily active users since its launch in July 2023.
The report notes that many social media apps faced challenges in remaining relevant throughout the year, prompting a survey on popular apps that fell out of favor.
The research findings indicate a global trend of users preferring to delete Instagram over other social media apps in 2023.
According to the report, Instagram was the platform that users were most eager to delete, with over 1 million people worldwide searching ‘how to delete (my) Instagram account’ each month. This equates to over 12,500 searches per 100,000 people globally.
Chris Hinkle, Chief Technical Officer at TRG Datacentres, suggests that Instagram being the most deleted app in 2023 indicates a significant change in social media preferences.
This shift reflects a dynamic change in what users prioritize, pointing to a demand for platforms that resonate more authentically and cater to evolving needs. It underscores the evolving nature of user preferences in the realm of social media.
How did they do the research?
The researchers utilized the nine most popular global social networks listed by Statista.com, focusing on applications accessible in multiple countries.
Over a 12-month period, they analyzed the average monthly searches for ‘how to delete (my) account’ alongside the user base of each app.
To standardize the data, the researchers used the global population, equating the number of people searching these terms each month per 100,000 individuals. This method provided insights into user preferences and engagement with social media platforms.
According to the research, in 2023, the number of people searching for information on how to delete accounts were as follows:
- Instagram: 10,20,000
- Snapchat: 1,28,500
- Twitter: 12,300
- Telegram: 71,700
- Facebook: 49,000
- TikTok: 24,900
- YouTube: 12,500
- WhatsApp: 4,950
- WeChat: 2,090
The researchers note that Instagram, the photo-sharing app from Meta, was once at the pinnacle of its success. However, they suggest that developments over the years, an increasing influx of ads, and influencers using it for brand promotions may have contributed to user dissatisfaction.
Despite still having over 2 billion users worldwide, the researchers express concern that if a million people continue to seek information on deleting the app each month, it could pose challenges for the platform’s future popularity.
In contrast, Snapchat, which was launched in 2011 and is particularly popular among Gen Z, witnessed approximately 130,000 people searching for information on how to delete it each month. Despite this, the platform maintains a substantial user base with around 750 million users worldwide.
