According to the recently released Reuters Institute Digital News report 2023 survey, Kenya is leader in world TikTok usage.
The report shows that the East African nation concentrates 54% of TikTok usage for any purpose and 29% for news.
Thailand comes in second place as South Africa holds the third spot with 50% for general use and 22% for news.
The report also 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.
Nevertheless, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat users tend to pay more attention to celebrities and social media influencers than media companies when it comes to News topics, in sharp contrast to Facebook and Twitter users. These legacy social networks still attract most attention and lead conversations.
Evidence supports that audiences tend to selectively avoid stories that they deem too depressing or anxiety-provoking in an effort to protect their mental health.
In terms of growth, TikTok remains the fastest-growing social network, with 44% of users using it and is popular among 18-24 year olds.
