Hootsuite: 2021 Global Web Report

Hootsuite released the "2021 Global Network Report", analyzing the unusual new trends in the global network in 2021.

Many people connected to the internet for the first time as they adapted to the challenges of COVID-19, while existing users embraced new digital tools and rediscovered old favorites.

As a result, many of the metrics in our Global Digital Report have seen significant growth over the past 12 months.

Social media provided some of the most impressive numbers, with user numbers growing by more than 13% since 2020. Nearly 5 billion users joined social networks in the past year, bringing the total number of users to 4.2 billion worldwide at the start of 2021.

Growth isn’t just about numbers of users, though. Mobile users around the world now spend more time on their phones than watching TV, firmly positioning the smartphone as today’s “first screen.”

E-commerce was another industry that grew rapidly in 2020 as many people moved their shopping online to mitigate health risks associated with the coronavirus.

More than three-quarters of internet users worldwide say they shop online every month, with the value of these purchases adding trillions of dollars to e-commerce revenue in 2020 alone.

At the same time, internet connection speeds have accelerated to keep up with the world’s growing digital demands: The average mobile connection is now nearly 50% faster than this time last year.

The demographics of digital audiences have also changed. Facebook users aged 65 and over have been the fastest growing group over the past 12 months, while women aged 55-64 are now more likely to have made an online purchase than men aged 16-24.

As more and more people rely on internet technology to manage almost every aspect of their daily lives, 2021 is likely to bring as many opportunities as challenges.

199IT.com Originally compiled from: Hootsuite. Please do not reprint without authorization