Social media has become a pervasive element of modern culture, with many individuals spending considerable time on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Reddit, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Digital marketing agency Hennessey Digital recently released a report ranking the states most fixated on social media.
The study analyzed monthly search volumes for popular social media sites, considering search volumes for every 100,000 people in each state.
Here are the states that ranked highest in social media searches per 100,000 people:
1. Oregon
Topping the list with 140,376 searches, Oregon residents favored YouTube, followed by Facebook and Instagram.
2. Maine
Maine showed a search volume of 138,460, with Facebook being the most popular platform, closely followed by YouTube and Instagram.
3. Massachusetts
With 138,266 searches, YouTube was the leading platform in Massachusetts, with 53,691 searches.
4. New York
New York had 138,163 searches. YouTube was the preferred app, with Instagram and Facebook also ranking high.
5. Washington
Washingtonians love YouTube, with over 53,000 searches for the video platform per 100,000 people and an overall search volume of 136,373.
6. Virginia
The overall social media search volume in Virginia was 135,893. YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook were popular.
7. Maryland
Maryland residents searched for social media sites 135,873 times, with YouTube as the favorite, with over 54,000 average monthly searches.
8. Georgia
There were 134,690 social media site searches. Lt. Governor Burt Jones recently introduced legislation to protect Georgia children on social media by requiring school boards to adopt protective social media policies.
9. New Hampshire
The Granite State sees an average of 133,911 social media searches. In 2023, Governor Chris Sununu signed an executive order to investigate the harmful effects of social media on children.
10. North Carolina
North Carolina sees 133,110 average monthly social media searches. A recent survey by North Carolina’s High Point University found 83% of state residents use social media, but only 21% think it’s a good thing.
Social Media Usage: A Nationwide Trend
The obsession with social media is not limited to these ten states. According to Statista, there are over 302 million social media users in the U.S., and social media sites have a 92% penetration rate in the country.
Concerns and Potential Solutions
Despite its popularity, most Americans do not view social media as beneficial. Pew Research Center reports that 64% of Americans believe social media has a negative effect.
Concerns include the spread of misinformation, hate, harassment, and the formation of echo chambers. There is also worry about the effects on adolescents, with 95% of children ages 13-17 using social media.
The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that social media can negatively affect the developing brains of teenage users, with teens spending more than three hours a day on social media reporting higher rates of mental health problems.
MIT hosted a social media summit in 2021 to address these problems and discuss potential solutions, including increased regulation, moving away from the advertising model, slowing down interactions, and data transparency.
Alicia Richards