Social Media Usage Survey: Questions, Use Cases & Insights (2026)

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May 2, 2025

In 2026, social media is no longer just a distraction, it's a lifestyle. People are using platforms not only for socializing but also for growing businesses, dating, politics, and daily communication. To understand these evolving behaviors, a social media usage survey provides valuable insights into how different age groups interact with platforms, the content they prefer, and how it impacts their daily lives.

Here’s what the latest stats reveal:

Category	Statistics
Global Users	As of 2025, there are 5.24 billion social media user identities globally, representing about 63.9% of the world’s population. Source
Daily Usage Time	The average daily usage time globally is ~141 minutes (2 h 21 min). Source
Platform Penetration & Usage	Facebook: 3.07 billion monthly active users (MAUs) in 2025. Instagram: 2 billion MAUs according to several reports. TikTok: 1.58 billion MAUs per marketer data. WhatsApp: 2 billion users
Gen Z’s Favorite Platform	47% of U.S. teens say TikTok is their favorite social media app. Source
Mental Health Concerns	71% of Gen Z and 61% of Millennials say social media impacts their well-being. Source
Cyberbullying	Nearly 1 in 2 U.S. teens (ages 13–17) say they’ve faced at least one type of cyberbullying behavior online. Source
Influencer Impact	3% of consumers would buy a product in-store if promoted by a celebrity, compared to 60% for an influencer. Source
Gen Z Screen Time	Gen Z averages 2 hours and 59 minutes of social media use daily. Source

What Is a Social Media Usage Survey?

A social media usage survey, as the name suggests, is a way to gather opinions and behavioral data directly from users on social media platforms. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn, marketers and researchers can reach their target audience by sharing surveys as posts, stories, or even paid social ads. This approach helps collect valuable insights on how people use social media, the content they engage with, and how it affects their daily habits and decision-making.

Sample Social Media Usage Survey Questions for Insights

Use one of our ready-made social media usage questionnaires as-is, or customize it to fit your research goals. You can also create your own social media questionnaire from scratch using a variety of question types, including multiple choice, rating scales, and open-ended responses. Here are few sample questions for you to copy and paste.

Social Media Survey Usage Questions

General Usage Questions

These questions broaden the behavioral picture of how often people use social media and the average time they spend on it. Brands can use this data to optimize posting schedules and outreach strategies.

Which social media platforms do you use frequently? (Daily, Several times a week, Once a week, Rarely, Never)
How often do you use social media?
On which device do you usually access social media? (Phone, Tablet, Desktop, etc.)
What time do you usually check your social media accounts? (Select all that apply.)
Do you feel you lose track of time while using social media?
How many social platforms are you on?
Is social media the first thing you check in the morning?

Preferred platforms

These questions reveal on which platform your audience spends most of their time, helping you focus on your content, advertising, or engagement efforts where they matter most.

Which is your primary social media platform?
Rank the platforms you use from most to least (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, etc).
Are there any social platforms you have stopped using recently?
Do you use different platforms for different purposes?

Content preference and interaction

These questions cover what type of content your audience enjoys, such as videos, memes, tutorials, news, personal stories, and what accounts they tend to follow.

What types of content do you engage with most frequently on social media?
Overall, how would you rate the quality of content on your most frequently used social media platform?
How often do you interact with posts by liking, sharing, or commenting?
Do you follow any brands and businesses on social media?
Have you ever posted or shared content you created on social media, such as reviews, photos, or stories?

Exposure to Cyberbullying and Online Harassment

These questions explore the dark side of social media, which is cyberbullying and online harassment, and how they impact the user experience.

On which social media platforms have you experienced cyberbullying? (Select all that apply)
Did you report the cyberbullying to anyone (e.g., the platform, a friend, a trusted adult)?
Can you describe what happened during your experience with cyberbullying?
What do you think should be done to help prevent or stop cyberbullying online?
Has social media ever affected your mental health positively or negatively?

Privacy and Data Protection

These questions aim to understand how aware users are of their privacy and how they protect it.

Are you concerned about your privacy on social media?
Have you ever changed privacy settings on any social media platform?
Have you ever experienced a privacy or security issue on any social media platform?
Have you ever been a victim of a scam or fraud on social media?
Do you trust social media with your personal information?

Social Media and Personal Productivity

These questions highlight the importance of balance between social life and productivity.

Have you ever tried to limit your social media use to stay productive?
Do you think social media takes up too much of your time?

Do you use social media as a break or a distraction?

Have you ever deactivated your social media accounts to stay focused in life?
Do you use productivity apps to manage your social media usage?

Read - Engaging Social Media Survey Questions for Better Insights

Psychological Effects and the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

Social media can trigger so many emotions, such as FOMO (feeling like you’re always missing out). These questions are about social media's mental and emotional impact on users.

Do you ever feel you are missing out in life when you see other people's life posts on social media?
Do you compare your life with others on social media?
Have you ever felt anxious or left out due to social media?
Have you ever taken a break from social media for your mental peace?

Who Should Use Social Media Usage Surveys? (Use Cases)

Here are some use cases of social media usage surveys:

E-commerce brands: Use surveys to track how people use social media, personalize content for each platform, launch campaigns during high-traffic periods, and understand what people think about your ads and reviews.

Educators and digital wellness advocates: Monitor social media habits by age group, assess the impact on attention span, anxiety, FOMO, and sleep cycles, especially among students.

HR teams and internal communications: Conduct surveys to reduce employee digital burnout, improve communication, and boost productivity and morale by understanding average time spent on social media.

Content creators and influencers: Identify what audiences actually want to see, gather feedback on engagement dips, and provide exclusive content where it’s most valued, informed by social media behavior survey insights.

Market researchers and analysts: Forecast platform adoption rates, support product development and UX testing, and feed findings into broader consumer research using social media trends surveys.

Political campaigns and advocacy groups: Gauge where voters get their news, how much they trust social media content, and which issues resonate most online.

Future Trends (Where Social Media is Headed)

Understanding social media trends is crucial for marketers, researchers, and content creators. Insights from social media behavior surveys and social media habits surveys reveal how people are adapting to new platforms, content formats, and online behaviors.

Emerging Trends	Insights
Private Communities	Users are moving away from public feeds and toward smaller, trusted circles
Niche Platform Resurgence	Platforms like Tumblr and Pinterest are gaining momentum among Gen Z
AI-Generated Content	Brands and creators are scaling production with AI tools
Screen Time & Lifestyle	Teen social media habits are now tied to health outcomes

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How to create a social media usage survey with TheySaid

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating your Social Media Usage Survey with TheySaid:

Step 1: Sign In to TheySaid

Log in to your account (or sign up in under a minute). Once inside, you have access to AI-powered survey creation, polls, voice surveys, and a central dashboard for all feedback.

Step 2: Teach the AI or Enter Your URL

Tell TheySaid about your business, website, or the type of survey you want. You can teach the AI your company context or enter your website URL, and it will automatically generate a fully customized social media usage questionnaire for your audience.

Step 3: Customize or Build Your Survey

You can tweak AI-generated questions, add custom ones, or build your survey from scratch. Use different question types like multiple choice, rating scales, open-ended responses, or even voice-enabled questions.

Step 4: Choose Your Distribution Method

Reach your audience wherever they are: Instagram, Slack, email, QR codes, or through voice surveys. You can also run quick polls to gather insights instantly.

Step 5: Let AI Engage Respondents

TheySaid’s AI interacts in real time, asking follow-up questions to collect deeper insights. Instead of short or one-word answers, you get meaningful conversations and actionable feedback about social media behavior, habits, and preferences.

Step 6: Analyze Results in One Dashboard

All responses from surveys, polls, and AI conversations feed into a single dashboard. The platform summarizes trends, highlights key action items, and provides recommendations — giving you everything you need to take action and improve your campaigns, content, or strategy.

Book a demo or sign up for free and create your AI-powered social media usage survey today!

Key Takeaways

Use survey data to identify when your audience is most active and align your content schedule accordingly.
Tailor campaigns for Gen Z on TikTok and Millennials on Facebook for better engagement and ROI.
Showcase behind-the-scenes, real-life stories to ease feelings of inadequacy and boost connection.
Use TheySaid’s AI to create surveys, engage respondents in real time, and instantly analyze actionable insights.

FAQs

Why conduct a social media usage survey?

Social media usage surveys help uncover audience behavior, preferences, mental health concerns, and platform trends, which are crucial for brands, educators, researchers, and content creators to make data-driven decisions.

What kind of questions should be included in social media surveys?

Cover areas like frequency, content interaction, privacy concerns, mental health impacts, platform loyalty, and FOMO.

How often should I run a social media usage survey?

At least once every 6–12 months to keep up with evolving user behavior, platform changes, and new trends.