Instagram remains the most popular social network among Belgians aged between 16 and 24, according to the Artevelde University of Applied Sciences and the federation of commerce and services Comeos' Social Media & Influencers (SMI) barometer released on Friday. Currently, Meta's app is used by 94.2% of young Belgians, closely followed by TikTok.
The study shows that 80% of young Belgians use Instagram daily. However, Instagram is experiencing a 5.7% decrease whilst TikTok continues to rise, reaching 70.4% daily users. Snapchat rounds off the top three, with a 69.6% share.
Marijke De Veirman from Artevelde University of Applied Sciences commented that Instagram's dominant position is being threatened by the rise of other networks. Particularly among the youngest users (16-18 years), TikTok has a higher intensity of use with 79.1% daily users, just behind Instagram's 82% and ahead of Snapchat's 78%. Moreover, TikTok even surpasses Instagram in terms of daily views within this age group.
The barometer highlights the intensive use of social networks by Belgian women aged 16-24. They account for nine out of ten daily Instagram users compared to 74.4% of the men. Similarly, 77% of women use TikTok daily versus 64% of men. In contrast, YouTube is favoured by young men, with a usage rate of 77.2%, compared to 51.6% of women.
The survey also highlighted the crucial role of these platforms for advertisers. According to the barometer, 56.3% of people aged 16-24 discover brands or products on Instagram, versus 43.2% on TikTok. Facebook, however, remains a significant player, particularly among 25 to 39-year-olds.
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Influencers also play a vital part in promoting brands. Indeed, 85.2% of Belgians aged 16-24 follow influencers, content creators or celebrities on social networks, with half confirming they have sought further information on a brand endorsed by an influencer.
However, 69.4% of social media users claim to have taken steps to limit time spent on these platforms. Among the 16-24 age category, this figure rises to 76.4%. To achieve this, most either remove apps from their smartphone (28.7%) or mute notifications (26.8%).
The SMI barometer is based on an online survey of 4,516 Belgians aged 16-39 and 29 in-depth online interviews with 16-24-year-olds.
