Verified Confidence: medium
Primary source found; it says the same thing, the scope matches, and it is reasonably current.
Safe rephrasing
GWI's 2025 survey found 50.2% of adult social media users worldwide cite keeping in touch with friends and family as a main reason for using social media, and 39.7% cite filling spare time.
What the source says
Globally, “ keeping in touch with friends and family ” remains the top motivation for accessing social platforms, with more than half (50.2 percent) of adult social media users around the world citing this as a primary reason for using social media. However, it’s interesting to note that “ filling spare time ” ranks second (39.7 percent)
DataReportal (Kepios), citing GWI — Digital 2026 Global Overview Report (published Oct. 2025)
- Commonly cited as
- "Why do people use social media?"
- True origin
- DataReportal (Kepios), citing GWI — Digital 2026 Global Overview Report (published Oct. 2025)
- Type
- Reference fact: A frequently needed number or rule taken directly from a primary source (e.g. Pew, Census, IAB/PwC, FTC), with its as-of date.
- Year
- 2025
- Data as of
- GWI Q2 2025 survey
- Last checked
- Method & sample
- GWI online survey of internet users aged 16+ (Q2 2025), as reported by Kepios/DataReportal.
- Drift between quote and source
- Respondents could pick several main reasons
- Interest
- DataReportal reports are produced with Meltwater and We Are Social, which sell marketing services.