SINGAPORE — Despite being extremely small, Singapore stands alongside many large nations through its technological capabilities. In fact, the country is so advanced it currently holds the title of the second-most-digitally-competitive country according to the World Competitiveness Ranking.
Along with this title, Singapore also has the second-highest social media penetration rate in all of Southeast Asia with a value of 84.4%. This is made possible through the country’s Internet and mobile phone penetration rates, which have values of 90% and 145.5% respectively.
Together these two factors allow a large majority of Singaporeans to access social media platforms from almost anywhere. This unparalleled access has resulted in various user trends as well as increased usage of select social media platforms.
Social media trends among Singaporeans
Of the city-state’s 4.96 million users, approximately 72.9% access social media exclusively through their mobile devices. Following this, only 1.2% of users restrict themselves to using laptops or desktops for social media interactions.
Such trends point towards a strong preference for mobile devices when it comes to accessing social media platforms. This is likely due to the immense ease and efficiency that mobile devices provide.
Of the world’s many notable social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok), the one most used by Singaporeans is actually YouTube. According to BestinSingapore.co’s Singapore Social Media Statistics Guide, users will typically spend 2 hours on YouTube alone.
90% of YouTube’s Singaporean audience is reported to be between the ages of 16 and 34 years old. Despite originating on desktops, YouTube is now optimized for use through mobile devices, which makes it extremely popular with younger users.
Upon examining their viewing habits, Singaporean users showed a strong preference for content such as vlogs, product reviews, and music videos. Regardless of the content they consumed, the majority of these users often sought entertainment.
BestinSingapore also found that almost 50% of users in Singapore prefer YouTube to TV. Compared to other video streaming platforms, 4 out of 5 Singaporeans preferred to use YouTube exclusively for online video consumption.
Overall, YouTube tops the charts with the highest user count amounting to roughly 4.4 million users. The platform with the second-highest user count in Singapore was neither Facebook nor Instagram (the usual front runners in other countries), but rather WhatsApp.
Singapore’s Most Popular Communication Platform
Boasting a user base of 4.32 million, WhatsApp is used by a whopping 74% of the Garden City’s population. Being a communication app, this platform is used by families, friends, study groups, and even companies as a means of staying in touch.
The majority of WhatsApp users were found to reside in the 18 to 44-year-old age demographic. In terms of distribution by gender, 53% of WhatsApp users were male and 47% were female, leading to a relatively balanced spread.
While Singaporeans do have access to Facebook Messenger, it’s significantly less popular than WhatsApp. If one compares each platform’s user base, there is almost a 40% difference in favor of WhatsApp.
Even after the recent announcement that WhatsApp will be sharing data with other platforms, 58% of Singaporeans still prefer it to any other app. This preference is likely due to the efficient messaging services offered by WhatsApp.
H2: The negative side to unparalleled connectivity
As entertaining and useful as social media platforms can be, their unchecked use can sometimes invite negative social interactions. One such example is the rise in cyberbullying occurrences.
At current standards, 3 in 4 Singaporean teens have experienced cyberbullying at some point during their social media use. The majority of these incidents usually occurred on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.
Taking a global perspective, around 87% of young people have experienced cyberbullying at one time or another. As a result of cyberbullying in Singaporepore, 41% of victims developed social anxiety while 37% developed depression.
Just as young Singaporeans experienced more cyberbullying, older users saw higher rates of cyber scams. Over the course of just a year, from 2019 to 2020, social media scams saw a 1,315.7% increase.
These scams ranged from malware hacking to full-on identity fraud, which later led to leaked banking information. In the previous year, Singaporean users lost roughly $1,974,000 to social media scams.
From these occurrences, it’s clear that social media platforms are not without their negative aspects. But, given the fact that the entire world is connected through social media, many would say that the benefits of these platforms far outweigh their risks.
With just a single tap, a user can speak with someone halfway across the globe or enjoy entertaining content wherever they roam. Used properly, social media platforms can continue to shape Singapore’s social landscape into a friendly, connective, and efficient environment.
