Kenya leads world in TikTok usage – Report
Kenya is the world’s top TikTok user. This is according to the recently released Reuters Institute Digital News Reports 2023 survey.
The report shows that Kenya had 54% of TikTok usage for any purpose and 29% for news.
Thailand follows with 51% for general use and 30% for news, followed by South Africa with 50% for general use and 22% for news. Peru follows with 48% for general use and 30% for news.
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The launch of TikTok by Chinese video hosting provider ByteDance was intended to provide entertainment.
However, the report shows that TikTok is gaining ground in the distribution of news, particularly among younger audiences, while Facebook, which has long held the top spot, is losing ground.
Digital News Reports 2023 also shows that users of TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat tend to pay more attention to celebrities and social media influencers than media companies when it comes to news topics.
This is in sharp contrast to legacy social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, where news organisations still attract the most attention and lead conversations.
In terms of growth, TikTok remains the fastest-growing social network, with 44% of users using it, and is popular with 18-24 year olds.
The platform is heavily used in parts of Asia, Latin America and Africa.
There is also evidence that audiences continue to selectively avoid important stories, such as the cost of living, as they cut back on depressing news and seek to protect their mental health.
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