Most popular social media among young people in Finland 2019, by platform

In 2019, WhatsApp and YouTube were the most popular social media platforms among 13 to 29-year-olds in Finland. Nearly 90 percent of the respondents to a social media survey said that they used WhatsApp and YouTube. Other highly popular online platforms included Instagram (79 percent), Snapchat (74 percent), and Spotify (72 percent).

One third of 16 to 24-year-olds increased their social media usage

Compared with other age groups, young people aged 16 to 24 years spent the most time on social media in Finland. When asked about day-to-day online activities, 34 percent of Finns in the age group of 16 to 24 years estimated that they had increased their time spent on social media in 2019. That year, 20 percent of 16 to 24-year-olds stated that they spent over two hours on social media on a typical day.

Effects of social media on everyday life of young people

According to a survey from 2019, over 90 percent of Finns aged 13 to 29 years used social media services in a passive manner for reading and following content. Listening to music, liking other user’s content, and following activities of friends were other common ways to use social media in Finland. Nonetheless, the main reason for young people to use these services was communication with friends. The majority of respondents said that social media services complement their real-life interactions, while 45 percent agreed that social media services bring added value and depth to real-life friendships. In fact, nearly 20 percent of 13 to 29-year-olds stated that social media services substitute real-life communication in their everyday life.