Most internet users in Canada need a daily dose of Facebook, according to March 2016 research.
Polling by Insights West reveals that more internet users in Canada used Facebook daily than any other social media platform, with 54% of respondents saying they did so. That was a significant share of the 71% who said they used Facebook at least a few times each week.
While 49% of those surveyed said they used YouTube—the next most popular site studied—at least twice weekly, just 23% did so every day.
However, more internet users said they used YouTube anywhere from twice to five times a week than Facebook. Overall, the pattern suggests that Facebook users are more likely to be high-frequency users, or else not visit the site much at all.
No other platform except Twitter was used by more than a quarter respondents at least a few times each week.
The most popular social destination are also the ones where respondents reported spending more time as of March than they had six months earlier.
And in the case of Facebook, older users appeared most eager to visit more frequently. While 23% of those ages 18 to 34 said they spent"more time on Facebook vs. six months ago, 28% of those ages 35 and up said the same. While this might simply mean that older users have just discovered Facebook in the past year, it may also point to younger users spending less time on Facebook generally—and more time on platforms like Instagram.
Indeed, 33% of users ages 18 to 34 say they’re spending more time on Instagram (which Facebook owns). YouTube also appealed more than ever to about a third of 18- to 34-year-olds surveyed.
eMarketer estimates that 61.6% of internet users in Canada will use Facebook on a monthly basis this year—a rate lower than Insights West found even for weekly usage, however, eMarketer includes internet users of all ages in its estimates. Meanwhile, 28.4% of internet users in the country will use Twitter at least once a month in 2016.