Many people have a love-hate relationship with social media and networking sites. At their best, they can keep us connected to friends and loved ones all over the world, provide a platform for creative expression and marketing, help us crowd-source valuable information, and keep us up to date on events and politics.
At their worst, on the other hand, they can expose us to bullying, hate speech, and unattainable standards that may cause or exacerbate feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and isolation. In addition, many users struggle with privacy concerns and the addictive nature of some apps and websites. (Many of the perils of social media are explored in all 27 episodes of Black Mirror ranked from worst to best.)
Despite the ambivalence around social media, billions of people use it every day. To compile a list of the most popular social media apps and sites, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the The Most Popular Socials survey conducted by YouGov, an international market and data analytics website. The survey measured popularity – the percentage of people who have a positive opinion of a social app or website – and fame, the percentage who have heard of it in the first place. Worldwide user information came from the consumer data site Statista, which in turn drew on a study conducted by DataReportal as well as various news sources, and was accurate as of January 2023.
The YouGov survey did not include one of the most popular social apps and websites, YouTube, with 2.5 billion monthly users. Two other major apps, Snapchat and TikTok, scored very high for fame but their popularity ranks were too low – by one and two points, respectively, to earn them a place in the top 20.
Click here to see the world’s most popular social apps and websites
The survey shows that even the most popular social apps and websites, some of which have hundreds of millions or billions of users per month, are sometimes considered negatively. WhatsApp, one of the most commonly used social platforms, scored a popularity rating of only 39%, and Instagram, another of the most commonly used platforms, was seen positively by a mere 53%. (This is the biggest social media platform.)
Source: JasonDoiy / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
20. Nextdoor
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 37%
> People who have heard of it: 70%
> Purpose: Local neighborhood communication platform
> Active users (worldwide): 42.4 million a week
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Source: brightstars / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
19. Ask.com
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 38%
> People who have heard of it: 84%
> Purpose: Question answering-focused resource
> Active users (worldwide): 180 million a month
Source: fcafotodigital / iStock via Getty Images
18. (tie) The Pioneer Woman
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 39%
> People who have heard of it: 64%
> Purpose: Cooking and lifestyle blog/brand
> Active users (worldwide): 23.3 million a month
Source: stockcam / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
17. (tie) WhatsApp
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 39%
> People who have heard of it: 91%
> Purpose: Instant messaging on smartphones
> Active users (worldwide): 2.0 billion a month
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Source: Chainarong Prasertthai / iStock via Getty Images
16. Twitter Mobile
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 40%
> People who have heard of it: 84%
> Purpose: Mobile access to Twitter’s platform
> Active users (worldwide): 368 million a month
Source: temizyurek / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
15. Goodreads
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 42%
> People who have heard of it: 65%
> Purpose: Online platform for book enthusiasts
> Active users (worldwide): 50 million a month
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14. (tie) Reddit (mobile)
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 44%
> People who have heard of it: 85%
> Purpose: Mobile access to Reddit communities
> Active users (worldwide): N/A
Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
13. (tie) X (formerly Twitter)
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 44%
> People who have heard of it: 98%
> Purpose: Microblogging and social networking platform
> Active users (worldwide): 556 million a month
Source: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images News via Getty Images
12. (tie) LinkedIn
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 47%
> People who have heard of it: 95%
> Purpose: Professional networking and career platform
> Active users (worldwide): 310 million a month
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Source: pixdeluxe / E+ via Getty Images
11. (tie) Reddit (website)
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 47%
> People who have heard of it: 92%
> Purpose: Online community for diverse discussions
> Active users (worldwide): 430 million a month
Source: Vadym Pastukh / iStock via Getty Images
10. Skype
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 49%
> People who have heard of it: 94%
> Purpose: Video calls and messaging platform
> Active users (worldwide): 300 million
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Source: JLco - Julia Amaral / iStock via Getty Images
9. (tie) Zoom
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 52%
> People who have heard of it: 91%
> Purpose: Video conferencing and online meetings
> Active users (worldwide): 300 million daily meeting participants
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8. (tie) GoFundMe
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 52%
> People who have heard of it: 95%
> Purpose: Online crowdfunding for personal causes
> Active users (worldwide): 100 million all-time
Source: bigtunaonline / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
7. (tie) Instagram
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 53%
> People who have heard of it: 97%
> Purpose: Photo and video sharing platform
> Active users (worldwide): 2.0 billion a month
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6. (tie) PBS Kids!
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 53%
> People who have heard of it: 85%
> Purpose: Educational content for young children
> Active users (worldwide): 15.4 million a month
Source: michelangeloop / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
5. (tie) Facebook Messenger
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 53%
> People who have heard of it: 95%
> Purpose: Facebook’s instant messaging platform
> Active users (worldwide): 931 million a month
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Source: PeopleImages / iStock via Getty Images
4. iMessenger
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 54%
> People who have heard of it: 85%
> Purpose: Apple’s instant messaging service
> Active users (worldwide): 1 billion a month
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Source: panida wijitpanya / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
3. (tie) Facebook App
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 55%
> People who have heard of it: 97%
> Purpose: Social networking and communication platform
> Active users (worldwide): N/A
Source: lechatnoir / Getty Images
2. (tie) Facetime
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 55%
> People who have heard of it: 91%
> Purpose: Video calls on Apple devices
> Active users (worldwide): N/A
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Source: MoreISO / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
1. (tie) Pinterest
> People who have a positive opinion of it: 55%
> People who have heard of it: 95%
> Purpose: Visual bookmarking for creative inspiration
> Active users (worldwide): 445 million a month
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