Media use now runs through internet access, social feeds, and streaming subscriptions at once. In the U.S., 90% of adults used the internet and 51% got news from social media, while 37% said they go online on a smartphone nearly constantly. Streaming adds massive scale, with Netflix at 260.2 million paid memberships and messaging apps handling 1.7 trillion messages per day worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- 61% of U.S. adults used Facebook in 2021 — measures reach of a legacy social platform.
- 90% of U.S. adults used the internet in 2023 — indicates the penetration of online media access.
- 51% of adults in the United States said they get news from social media sometimes, often, or regularly (2023) — indicates social media’s role in media consumption.
- 37% of U.S. adults reported using a smartphone to access the internet “nearly constantly” (2023) — links media usage to always-on devices.
- 66% of respondents in a 2023 Ofcom study said they use streaming services to watch TV content — measures streaming adoption for TV viewing.
- Netflix had 260.2 million global paid memberships in Q1 2024 — measures scale of one of the largest media usage services.
- Disney+ had 150.1 million global subscribers as of Q3 2024 (reported) — provides scale of subscription video usage.
- In the UK, 93% of adults used the internet in 2023 — indicates connectivity enabling digital media usage.
- iOS had 30.8% of global smartphone OS market share in 2024 (estimated) — quantifies iPhone ecosystem share for media usage.
- Google accounted for 91.7% of global search engine market share in April 2024 — reflects how users discover media content.
- 42.8% of U.S. adults used YouTube in 2021 — measures reach of a major video platform among adults.
- 56.6% of U.S. adults used Instagram in 2021 — measures reach of a major social platform among adults.
- 24.0% of U.S. adults used TikTok in 2021 — measures reach of a short-form video platform among adults.
- In 2023, the median time spent listening to online audio was 3.0 hours per week among U.S. adults — measures online audio engagement.
- The global OTT video market is projected to reach $170.8 billion in 2024 — measures subscription/OTT video market size forecast.
With internet access nearly universal, streaming and mobile video dominate how Americans and people worldwide consume media.
Related reading
01 · Category
User Adoption5 stats
01
42.8% of U.S. adults used YouTube in 2021 — measures reach of a major video platform among adults.
02
56.6% of U.S. adults used Instagram in 2021 — measures reach of a major social platform among adults.
03
24.0% of U.S. adults used TikTok in 2021 — measures reach of a short-form video platform among adults.
04
41.7% of people worldwide used social media in 2023 — measures global social media user adoption.
05
4.75 billion people used mobile devices to access the internet in 2023 — measures mobile internet user base.
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption is being driven globally by mobile and mainstream social platforms, as 4.75 billion people used mobile devices to access the internet in 2023 and 41.7% of people worldwide used social media, with U.S. adults showing strong uptake such as 56.6% on Instagram and 42.8% on YouTube in 2021.
02 · Category
Usage Behavior4 stats
01
51% of adults in the United States said they get news from social media sometimes, often, or regularly (2023) — indicates social media’s role in media consumption.
02
37% of U.S. adults reported using a smartphone to access the internet “nearly constantly” (2023) — links media usage to always-on devices.
03
66% of respondents in a 2023 Ofcom study said they use streaming services to watch TV content — measures streaming adoption for TV viewing.
04
1.7 trillion messages were sent per day across messaging apps worldwide in 2023 (estimate) — quantifies messaging media volume.
Interpretation
Usage Behavior Interpretation
Usage behavior shows that media consumption is increasingly digital and always on, with 51% of U.S. adults getting news from social media at least sometimes and 37% using smartphones nearly constantly, while streaming reaches 66% in the UK and messaging apps drive 1.7 trillion messages per day worldwide.
03 · Category
Platforms And Devices4 stats
01
In the UK, 93% of adults used the internet in 2023 — indicates connectivity enabling digital media usage.
02
iOS had 30.8% of global smartphone OS market share in 2024 (estimated) — quantifies iPhone ecosystem share for media usage.
03
Google accounted for 91.7% of global search engine market share in April 2024 — reflects how users discover media content.
04
YouTube is the #1 site by global monthly visits in 2024 — indicates the platform’s prominence in web media usage.
Interpretation
Platforms And Devices Interpretation
In the platforms and devices landscape, near universal UK internet access at 93% in 2023 combined with the dominance of iOS at 30.8% global smartphone share and search driven discovery where Google holds 91.7% in April 2024 helps explain why YouTube leads with the most global monthly visits in 2024.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
$19.0 billion global revenue for streaming TV in 2023 — measures global subscription/streaming monetization scale.
02
The average monthly price of a Netflix subscription in the U.S. ranged from $6.99to $22.99 in 2024 — measures user cost of streaming access.
03
The average monthly price of Spotify Premium in the U.S. was $10.99in 2024 — measures cost of premium audio media usage.
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In the Cost Analysis category, streaming TV revenue reached $19.0 billion in 2023 while consumers in the U.S. faced monthly subscription costs that ranged up to $22.99 for Netflix in 2024 and $10.99 for Spotify Premium in 2024, showing that audio and video streaming price pressure can vary widely even within the same media spending ecosystem.
05 · Category
Audience Reach2 stats
01
61% of U.S. adults used Facebook in 2021 — measures reach of a legacy social platform.
02
90% of U.S. adults used the internet in 2023 — indicates the penetration of online media access.
Interpretation
Audience Reach Interpretation
In terms of Audience Reach, internet access is nearly universal with 90% of U.S. adults online in 2023, while Facebook still reaches 61% of adults in 2021, showing how broad digital availability surpasses even the biggest legacy social platform.
06 · Category
Industry Overview5 stats
01
Netflix had 260.2 million global paid memberships in Q1 2024 — measures scale of one of the largest media usage services.
02
Disney+ had 150.1 million global subscribers as of Q3 2024 (reported) — provides scale of subscription video usage.
03
In 2023, the median time spent listening to online audio was 3.0 hours per week among U.S. adults — measures online audio engagement.
04
The global OTT video market is projected to reach $170.8 billion in 2024 — measures subscription/OTT video market size forecast.
05
Netflix’s median streaming bitrate fell within 3.0–6.0 Mbps for SD/HDR profiles during peak periods in 2023 — measures typical streaming delivery bandwidth.
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
The Industry Overview data shows subscription and streaming at massive scale, with Netflix reaching 260.2 million paid memberships in Q1 2024 and the global OTT video market projected to hit $170.8 billion in 2024, while audio engagement also remains strong at 3.0 hours per week among U.S. adults.
report visual · Key figures
Media platform reach and usage (2021–2023)
Key social and streaming platforms show wide adoption across regions and device ecosystems.
42.8%
42.8% of U.S. adults used YouTube in 2021 — measures reach of a major video platform among adults.
56.6%
56.6% of U.S. adults used Instagram in 2021 — measures reach of a major social platform among adults.
24%
24.0% of U.S. adults used TikTok in 2021 — measures reach of a short-form video platform among adults.
41.7%
41.7% of people worldwide used social media in 2023 — measures global social media user adoption.
66%
66% of respondents in a 2023 Ofcom study said they use streaming services to watch TV content — measures streaming adopt
90%
90% of U.S. adults used the internet in 2023 — indicates the penetration of online media access.
source-verifiedpewresearch.org · datareportal.com · ofcom.org.uk2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Media Usage Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/media-usage-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Media Usage Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/media-usage-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Media Usage Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/media-usage-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)