• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, March 19, 2024

Email is at least somewhat popular with consumers, the older generations being particularly fond of it. But it pales beside social media, which now has 5.04 billion users worldwide and a growth rate above 5% judging by Digital 2024: Global Overview Report, a study by Meltwater. 

Of 8.08 billion people on earth, 5.35 billion are now using the internet, 66.2% of the total global population. And the percentage has hit 97.1% in the U.S. But overall growth has slowed to 1.8%, perhaps because users have attained a “supermajority,” writes Simon Kemp, chief analyst, DataReportal.  

However, 2.7 billion people are not connected, and adoption rates across Sub-Saharan Africa are below 50%, Kemp adds. 

Meanwhile, 41.25 of internet users now own virtual reality devices, a 5.9% increase YoY. And smart-home device ownership now stands at 48.4%, reflecting a 3.6% growth rate.  

In addition, while mobile internet usage has slipped by 3.2%, it still has a 97.1% share.

Worldwide, the most popular types of websites and apps are:

• Chat and messaging — 94.7%
• Social networks — 94.3% 
• Search engines or web portals — 80.7% 
• Shopping, auctions, or classifieds — 74.3%
• Maps, parking, or location-based services — 54.4%
• Email — 49.5% 
• Music — 48.1%
• Weather — 42.2% 
• News — 40.3% 
• Games — 32.4% 
• Mobility services (e.g. ride-hailing, bike hire) — 29.8% 
• Banking, investing, or insurance — 26.6%
• Sports — 25.8% 
• Travel — 24.5%

Among the generations, email is used by 57.6% of people in the 55-64 age cohort and 52.6% of those ages 45-54. In contrast, it is utilized by 42.5% of consumers in the ages 16-24 group and 46.1% who are ages 25 to 34. 

Younger people are more likely to discover new brands via social media. In contrast, middle-aged individuals rely primarily on search engines and boomers on TV.  

But the main channels for online brand research are as follows: 

• Search engines — 50.3% 
• Social networks — 46% 
• Consumer reviews — 37.2% 
• Product & Brand Websites — 33.3% 
• Mobile apps — 28% 
• Price comparison sites — 26.8%
• Video sites — 22% 
• Discount voucher sites — 19.4% 
• Q&A sites — 18.6% 
• Brand & product blogs — 17.9%
• Specialist review sites — 15.9%
• Messenger services — 14.6%
• Forums & message boards — 13.5%
• Micro-blogs — 12.9% 
• Videos — 12.4% 

Online shoppers are largely motivated by free delivery (50.6%), coupons and discounts (39.3%), easy returns policy (33.2%), simple online checkout (30.6%) and customer reviews (30.5%).   

Finally, why do people use the internet at all? They turn to it for: 

• Finding information — 60.9%
• Staying in touch with friends and family — 56.6% 
• Watching videos, TV shows or movies — 52.% 
• Keeping up with news and events — 51.9%
• Researching how to do things — 49.4% 
• Finding new ideas or inspiration — 46.1%
• Accessing and listening to music — 45.1%
• Researching products and brands — 43.7%
• Filling up spare time and general browsing — 42.6% 
• Education and study-related purposes — 38.8%
• Researching places, vacations and travel — 37.9% 
• Researching health issues and healthcare products — 35.2% 
• Managing finances and savings — 34.2% 
• Business related research — 29.9% 
• Gaming — 29.3% 

The full report can be found here.