Kenyans are spending more time on social media compared to internet users in other countries, according to the latest report by GlobalWebIndex.
The report by an audience research company, GlobalWebIndex, revealed that Kenyan internet users spend an average of about four hours on social media daily, surpassing the global average of two hours and 19 minutes.
Compared to other countries globally, Kenyans spend more time on social media, while Japan recorded a low usage time, the report released in February says.
Among the heavy internet users, Kenya was followed by Chile, at an average of three hours and 39 minutes, and South Africa at three hours and 36 minutes. Filipinos are also spending a lot of time on social media, averaging at three hours and 32 minutes.
Instagram has been ranked as the favourite social media platform worldwide, taking 16.6 per cent of internet users. It is followed by WhatsApp and Facebook at 16 and 13.1 per cent, respectively, according to the GlobalWebIndex report.
Others are Facebook (13.1 per cent), Wechat (12.0 per cent), TikTok, Douyin (7.3 per cent), and X (3.2 per cent), according to the company that provides audience insight to publishers, media agencies and marketers.
The report revealed that women continue to spend meaningfully more time on social media than men across all ages, with the gap most pronounced amongst younger age groups.
The revelation has ignited a national debate, with some praising Kenya’s digital adoption while others questioning whether excessive social media use is affecting the country's productivity and economic growth.
''You realise the countries that spend the least time on social media are the most developed. We should have the social media apps closed throughout the day and open in the evening. We waste a lot of time in social media apps,'' a Kenyan social media user said.
''This is attributed to the age factor. Kenya has arguably the youngest generation, who, of course, will spend more time on social media compared to a very aged Japanese population,'' another Kenyan tried to explain the numbers.
''Kenya tops again in average time spent on social media daily at four hours and 19 minutes! Social media is a political venue, 2027 Elections will be determined and influenced by social media,'' another Kenyan opined.
The report has raised concerns with sections of Kenyans arguing that dependence on social media platforms has increased owing to the hiking rate of unemployment, leaving many Kenyans idle and lingering on social media.
Others argue that Kenya’s high online presence is a reflection of its thriving digital economy, where social media is widely used for business, entertainment, news, and networking.
It is important to note that the use of social media has become an important tool in revolutionary movements among the Kenyan youth.
The youth have primarily used social media to make major political shifts in the country, including the anti-finance bill protests that led to President William Ruto withdrawing the bill after the rejection it received.
The prevalence of social media in Kenya has continued to pose a threat to leaders, who have moved to gag its use, with numerous attempts to shut down the internet.
President Ruto has stated that while he supports freedom of expression, he has considered internet restrictions in response to online dissent, raising concerns about potential digital censorship.
