Filipinos’ seemingly extreme fondness of social media hasn’t changed, based on the latest Digital 2020 Global Overview Report shared by UK-based creative agency, We Are Social, in partnership with Hootsuite, a Canadian social media marketing company. 

The report confirms that we still hold the record for the highest number of hours spent on social media, which earned us the title “Social Media Capital of the World” – for 5 years in a row.

On average, Filipino internet users spend four hours a day on social media sites, particularly Facebook. For perspective, the global average time spent on social media is 2 hours and 24 minutes.

If that makes you wonder what Filipinos do on social media, here are some popular ways they use these platforms:

• Connecting with family and relatives. Filipinos pride themselves on having strong and close family ties. As communication has gone digital, so do our habits. Once, the country was the “World’s Texting Capital,” now that has changed to “Social Media Capital.” The medium has changed but the purpose remains the same: Filipinos like to keep up with each other’s interests, milestones, and even vacation photos. And what better way to do all of that than logging on to social media sites. 

• Maintaining long-distance relationships. There are about 2.3 million Filipinos working overseas as of 2018, according to Philippine Statistics Office (PSA). Social media, especially Facebook, has helped lovers, friends, and families survive loneliness with free features for instant communication like Messenger and Stories. Pinoys, being tech-savvy and early adopters, have found social media as a creative and clever way to keep in touch with loved ones who live far away. 

• Catching up with friends. Filipinos are highly social people. They like to keep up  with work-friends, dorm pals, high school buddies, even long-lost friends from primary school. Facebook, being a widely used social media channel in the Philippines with around 76 million users, is simply the easiest way to get in touch with just about anyone you like to connect with. 

• Keeping up with trends and current events. According to a recent survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS), about 13.9 million Filipinos get their daily news through Facebook. This number is even higher than radio and newspaper combined. Part of the reason is ease of access. In the Philippines, Facebook is free and accessible even without internet for all smartphone owners. 

• Online shopping or selling. Making a purchase has gone heavily online in the last couple of years for digital natives in the Philippines. The younger, more informed consumers now follow brands, businesses, and stores on Facebook to get smarter deals. Marketers and sellers are also taking advantage of Facebook Marketplace and Ads to reach their target customers on the platform. 

There are other activities you can do on social media but so far, these are the most popular uses for Filipinos. 

Not from the Philippines? What are the top reasons you use social media?