In the old day human beings communicated and related when they were together physically, with the advancement of technology, we started to exercise this communication through printed newspapers, which was a great format (and also cheap) to spread information with news and the first advertisements on a Large scale.

After a long time, the radio appeared, which made it possible to use a second human sense to transmit information, hearing. Listening to the news and radio soap operas, brought people closer to analog and electrical communication technology for the first time in history.

However, human ambition wanted to elevate its format of transmitting communication, and so, they created television, which added another sense, vision, to this experience, first with images in black and white, and then in color, improving over the decades the quality of its image and sound, increasing the range of colors that could be displayed in the pixels and also increasing its size. Today you already find a home and that the television occupies one wall of the entire living room!

But none of the communication technologies was as surprising and innovative as the internet, because it added a new "dimension" of human life to the communication process: the interaction between individuals. From one moment to the next, people stopped being just viewers and became active agents in this process, being able to give their opinion and even change the course of what was being transmitted to them.

And in this revolution that was the internet, the so-called possibility of creating spaces that were truly social in communication emerged: social networks.

Social media platforms

Social networks are basically, in a simple way, the attempt to reproduce the physical spaces of coexistence and relationship that we have physically, but in the virtual world. With discussion spaces, such as Facebook, telegram, or WhatsApp groups, audiovisual entertainment spaces, which were previously cinemas and living rooms, have now become youtube or TikTok. Even those spaces that were momentarily created like the photo albums that made our moments of nostalgia and joy now become Instagram.

In the beginning, social networks had a limited communication function, but they have evolved so much that even commercial spaces have become possible, such as second-hand markets, which became a Facebook tab, and live-e-commerce, which have become major online stores.

The future of social media: METAVERSE

Currently, almost everything is possible within social networks, its few limitations already have even a prediction of coming to an end with the new format: the METAVERSE.

It will add a new “dimension” to the process of digital human communication, the “dimension” of the feeling of being in a physical place, it will be possible to participate in parties and shows, shared cinema lines, and even experience group games with immersion never seen before, all without ever having to step outside your door.

And today, because of all this power, more than half of all human beings on the planet use social networks and are inserted. Get to know the 5 most used social networks in the world in 2022 now!

Top 5 most used social media in the world

5. We Chat

Despite not being much used here in the West, on the Asian continent, it is an unprecedented phenomenon. Very strong especially in China, the social network that tries to be an “all-in-one” has an installed base of active users of 1.26 billion, becoming the fifth most-used social network on the entire planet. And despite being more focused on the Chinese market, it has been gaining supporters in all countries with each passing year.

4. Instagram

This is well known on our side of the globe, the social network that started as a photo album to share with friends, has gained many fans worldwide, with Brazil and Mexico as its main markets. Adding functions from other social networks such as stories, a function replicated from Snapchat, and also the latest Reels, a function copied to compete with TikTok.

Its installed user base is nearly 1.5 billion people monthly. Becoming the fourth most widely used social network on the planet.

3. Whatsapp

Some may even say that WhatsApp is not exactly a social network, but a common electronic messenger, but its importance and relevance on the planet are irrefutable. The small green balloon has replaced the telephone function in many low- and middle-income countries, as it does not charge for this service and still has excellent connection quality!

Like Instagram and all META platforms, over time it incorporated functions that were from other competitors such as stories. Its installed base reaches 2 billion active users monthly, placing it as the third most used social network in the world.

2. Youtube

The video streaming network stands out among all the others on this list, as this platform does not focus much on the interaction of groups, but more on the transmission of audiovisual content, it is by far the largest streaming service in the world and not even its competitors how Netflix and Disney+ manage to reach their users level.

Among the features that make YouTube the preferred audiovisual social network for people on all continents, is the possibility of being able to use the platform without even needing to have a registered account and the incredible possibility of earning money.

Only in the year 2021 in the US, youtube impacted with the generation of revenue shared with its content creators, more than $25 billion, and generated 425 thousand equivalent jobs, which makes clear its great adherence.

Its installed base currently stands at 2.56 billion active users worldwide, and it is the number one social network in terms of hours spent by users annually.

1. Facebook

Finally the world's most used network: Facebook! It comes as no surprise that META basically dominates the social media market, after all, out of the top 5 on this list, 3 of them are from the same company, and all are highly integrated to generate a better user experience.

Facebook is not just the biggest social network on the planet, the “blue F” is largely responsible for shaping the visual identity of most SaaS digital platforms, not only social ones but even productivity tools.

Of all the social networks, META's flagship is also the one that generates the most money for the company, YouTube moves a lot of money, but most of it stays with the platform's content creators, while on Facebook, all the money stays with the company that developed it.

Recently, there has been a movement toward the loss of users on social networks, but even with these losses, it continues at the top with almost no other direct competition.

Its installed base of users is close to 3 billion, and 1 out of 4 people on earth have a profile and use the social network at least once a month, which can be called success!

Social media is investing heavily in the next step of the METAVERSE, but that's still years, if not decades away, so make the most of the current format before it changes.