More than 1.79 billion people used TikTok monthly in 2024, while 36% of U.S. adults are extremely concerned about election misinformation. This combination of global reach and public anxiety shows how media influence extends beyond screens to affect beliefs, behavior, and mental health. Connecting political exposure, targeted advertising, and reported harms reveals the scale of this societal impact.
Key Takeaways
- 36% of U.S. adults say they are extremely concerned about misinformation affecting elections, showing societal impact risk perceived by the public
- 52% of U.S. adults report encountering political news on Facebook at least sometimes, indicating exposure to politically influential media content
- 40% of people in 46 countries reported that they rely on social media as an information source about current events, suggesting global exposure to platform-mediated influence
- 4.96 billion people used social media in 2024, representing massive potential reach for social platform media influence
- TikTok reported 2024 average monthly active users (MAUs) of 1.79 billion globally, illustrating scale of short-form influence
- Facebook had 3.05 billion monthly active users (MAUs) worldwide in 2024, representing substantial reach potential
- In 2022, the U.S. Secret Service reported 1,317 threats related to social media during 2022, reflecting direct societal risk from online narratives
- In 2022, there were 1,443 mass shootings in the United States (per Gun Violence Archive), showing societal harms where media coverage can influence copycat risk
- In 2017, a meta-analysis found that media portrayals can have measurable effects on violence and aggression, quantifying influence pathways
- In 2023, 76% of marketers reported using social media as part of their marketing strategy, linking media ecosystems to societal advertising influence
- In 2023, 58% of U.S. adults said they often or sometimes see ads for products they later buy, showing marketing influence linkage
- In 2024, the global influencer marketing market size was $21.1 billion, showing economic scale of media influence via creators
- 1.79 billion average monthly active users (MAUs) reported by TikTok in 2024 worldwide
- 58% of U.S. adults said they often or sometimes see ads for products they later buy in 2023
- 90% of U.S. adults say they use at least one social media site, according to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey
With billions using social media, political misinformation reaches massive audiences and shapes beliefs, behavior, and elections.
Related reading
01 · Category
Public Trust3 stats
01
36% of U.S. adults say they are extremely concerned about misinformation affecting elections, showing societal impact risk perceived by the public
02
52% of U.S. adults report encountering political news on Facebook at least sometimes, indicating exposure to politically influential media content
03
40% of people in 46 countries reported that they rely on social media as an information source about current events, suggesting global exposure to platform-mediated influence
Interpretation
Public Trust Interpretation
With 36% of U.S. adults extremely concerned about misinformation in elections and 52% encountering political news on Facebook at least sometimes, public trust is being strained by frequent exposure to political messaging and fear of misinformation.
02 · Category
Reach & Engagement5 stats
01
4.96 billion people used social media in 2024, representing massive potential reach for social platform media influence
02
TikTok reported 2024 average monthly active users (MAUs) of 1.79 billion globally, illustrating scale of short-form influence
03
Facebook had 3.05 billion monthly active users (MAUs) worldwide in 2024, representing substantial reach potential
04
Instagram had 2.0 billion monthly active users in 2024, indicating large exposure to visual media influence
05
In 2023, 26% of U.S. adults used Snapchat, indicating reach of youth-oriented messaging media
Interpretation
Reach & Engagement Interpretation
In the Reach and Engagement category, social media platforms are driving enormous audience pull with 4.96 billion users on social media in 2024 and Facebook reaching 3.05 billion monthly active users, while TikTok’s 1.79 billion monthly active users and Instagram’s 2.0 billion keep short and visual formats highly visible, supported by youth reach where 26% of U.S. adults used Snapchat in 2023.
03 · Category
Societal Impact8 stats
01
In 2022, the U.S. Secret Service reported 1,317 threats related to social media during 2022, reflecting direct societal risk from online narratives
02
In 2022, there were 1,443 mass shootings in the United States (per Gun Violence Archive), showing societal harms where media coverage can influence copycat risk
03
In 2017, a meta-analysis found that media portrayals can have measurable effects on violence and aggression, quantifying influence pathways
04
In 2020, a meta-analysis reported that exposure to violent media increased aggression with a small-to-moderate effect (d≈0.11)
05
In a 2018 JAMA study, exposure to election-related misinformation was associated with lower belief accuracy by 2016, quantifying belief impact
06
In 2023, 19.5% of U.S. adults reported having difficulty sleeping nearly every day, a health outcome often studied alongside social media influence on behavior
07
In 2022, 12.1% of U.S. adults reported frequent mental distress (14 or more days of poor mental health), a societal wellbeing indicator studied in media-effects research
08
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory highlighting that social media can harm youth mental health, quantifying the relevance of influence pathways (advisory scope)
Interpretation
Societal Impact Interpretation
Across these societal impact measures, the numbers suggest media and online content are linked to real-world risks, from 1,317 social media threats reported in 2022 by the U.S. Secret Service to election misinformation lowering belief accuracy by 2016, reinforcing that media influence can shape violence, aggression, and community well being rather than staying purely informational.
04 · Category
Media Ecosystem5 stats
01
In 2023, 76% of marketers reported using social media as part of their marketing strategy, linking media ecosystems to societal advertising influence
02
In 2023, 58% of U.S. adults said they often or sometimes see ads for products they later buy, showing marketing influence linkage
03
In 2024, the global influencer marketing market size was $21.1 billion, showing economic scale of media influence via creators
04
In 2023, YouTube advertising revenue was $30.6 billion globally, illustrating the scale of influential video media monetization
05
In 2023, Meta's revenue from advertising was $134.9 billion, showing economic scale of platform-mediated influence
Interpretation
Media Ecosystem Interpretation
In the media ecosystem, social platforms and creators are now deeply integrated into everyday commerce and monetization, with 76% of marketers using social media in 2023 and U.S. adults reporting they often or sometimes see ads for products they later buy, all while the market grew to $21.1 billion for influencer marketing in 2024 and major platforms generated $134.9 billion in advertising revenue in 2023.
05 · Category
User Adoption2 stats
01
1.79 billion average monthly active users (MAUs) reported by TikTok in 2024 worldwide
02
58% of U.S. adults said they often or sometimes see ads for products they later buy in 2023
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
Under the User Adoption lens, TikTok’s 1.79 billion average monthly active users worldwide in 2024 and the fact that 58% of U.S. adults in 2023 often or sometimes see ads for products they later buy show how quickly social platforms are driving ongoing participation and conversion.
More related reading
06 · Category
Societal Outcomes3 stats
01
90% of U.S. adults say they use at least one social media site, according to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey
02
74% of U.S. adults say they frequently get news from social media, according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023
03
22% of internet users in EU countries reported seeing false information about politics on social media in 2023, according to the Eurobarometer
Interpretation
Societal Outcomes Interpretation
Societal outcomes are shaped by how broadly social media is used, with 90% of U.S. adults using it and 74% frequently getting news there, while 22% of EU internet users in 2023 reported seeing false political information on social media.
07 · Category
Misinformation Risk3 stats
01
14% of U.S. adults reported that fabricated news stories have affected what they believe about politics in a 2020 study by the Knight Foundation
02
1,021 active fact-checking organizations worldwide in 2024, according to IFCN’s annual reports
03
1,000+ disinformation-related enforcement actions reported by the EU Digital Services Act in 2023, according to the European Commission
Interpretation
Misinformation Risk Interpretation
With 14% of U.S. adults saying fabricated news has shaped their political beliefs, and 1,021 active fact-checking organizations worldwide alongside 1,000+ EU Digital Services Act enforcement actions in 2023, the data shows misinformation risk is both widespread and actively being contested.
08 · Category
Civic And Political Influence4 stats
01
Public agencies produced 6.6 million posts on social media during the 2020 U.S. election cycle, according to a 2021 Pew Research Center analysis
02
27% of eligible voters reported that online political content influenced their voting decisions in 2020, according to a 2021 survey by the Pew Research Center
03
2.7 million election-related posts were removed by major platforms during the U.S. 2020 election period, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security report
04
Facebook’s Ad Transparency reporting shows millions of advertisers active during the U.S. election cycle 2020 (count reported in 2020 transparency reports)
Interpretation
Civic And Political Influence Interpretation
During the 2020 U.S. election cycle, civic and political influence online was substantial, with public agencies posting 6.6 million times and 27% of eligible voters saying online political content affected their choices, while major platforms removed 2.7 million election related posts.
09 · Category
Economic Impact1 stats
01
$1.5 trillion global advertising market size in 2023, according to GroupM’s annual forecast
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
The Economic Impact of media is substantial because the global advertising market reached $1.5 trillion in 2023, showing how strongly media spending can drive economic activity worldwide.
report visual · Key figures
How people encounter media influence and misinformation
Across the public, political advertising, and misinformation exposure, a large share of people report frequent exposure to political content and reliance on social platforms, alongside substantial concern about election-related misinformation.
36%
36% of U.S. adults say they are extremely concerned about misinformation affecting elections, showing societal impact ri
52%
52% of U.S. adults report encountering political news on Facebook at least sometimes, indicating exposure to politically
74%
74% of U.S. adults say they frequently get news from social media, according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Repor
22%
22% of internet users in EU countries reported seeing false information about politics on social media in 2023, accordin
58%
In 2023, 58% of U.S. adults said they often or sometimes see ads for products they later buy, showing marketing influenc
source-verifiedpewresearch.org · reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk · europa.eu2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Media Influence On Society Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/media-influence-on-society-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Media Influence On Society Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/media-influence-on-society-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Media Influence On Society Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/media-influence-on-society-statistics.
Sources & references
34 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)