Kenya is currently the top country in terms of TikTok usage worldwide
According to a digital news report released by Reuters Institute, Kenya has taken the number one spot in TikTok usage worldwide. A whopping 54 percent of users in the East African country are on TikTok for various reasons, and 29 percent rely on it exclusively for news consumption, as revealed by a survey conducted in 2023.
Thailand comes in second, closely followed by South Africa, where 22 percent of users use TikTok as a news source and 50 percent of users interact with the app for general content.
According to okayafrica., the study emphasizes TikTok’s expanding relevance as a platform for news distribution, particularly among the younger generation. That’s a sign that people are moving away from Facebook and platforms that were once dominant, but are now falling out of favor.
The platform’s success in spreading news can be attributed to its distinctive format, which includes brief videos that makes it perfect for presenting news stories in an engrossing and concise manner. The study also reveals that users of TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are much more likely to follow celebrities and social media influencers than they are to rely on traditional media outlets when they are looking for news. This trend indicates that people are avoiding stories that are too emotionally taxing or upsetting for them, notes ghafla!.
With 44 percent of its users actively engaged, TikTok continues to maintain its position as the most rapidly expanding social network around the world. The 18-to-24-year-old demographic is where its popularity really shines. Notably, regions of Asia, Latin America, and Africa are where TikTok is most widely used.
The constantly changing media landscape and the growing importance of social media platforms in news consumption are both highlighted in the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023. East Africa is the leader in TikTok usage, demonstrating the continent’s embracement of digital platforms as an avenue of communicating with the outside world. It is still unclear how traditional media outlets will be impacted by this change in news consumption patterns and how this will affect how news is distributed in the future.
Evie Blanco is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York. She is extremely well-versed in hip-hop music and culture and is always aware of its developments. Whether it’s the latest in pop culture, a fascinating foreign destination, a truly amazing new restaurant, or breaking news, she loves to write about it all. Evie can be reached at evieblanco@detourxp.com.
This story was originally published June 23, 2023 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Kenya is currently the top country in terms of TikTok usage worldwide."