Asia topples Western markets in social media usage

Consumers in Asia, led by China and Indonesia, use social media more than their Western counterparts according to a new report by GlobalWebIndex, measuring social media usage.

According to the Social Engagement Benchmark (SEB) which includes data from 31 countries, consumers in emerging markets are more likely to use a social network or a microblog, upload photos, videos or review a product or brand than their counterparts in mature countries.

China registered the most socially engaged group, which was the high income, top 25%. Japan, on the other hand, reported the least active socially engaged group: that of 55-64 year-olds. The countries lagging behind Asia in social media are mature markets including the US, Japan, Sweden, France and the UK.

The report further reveals that as the number of internet users in emerging markets grows each year, social media is considered a natural part of internet consumption. In markets including the UK, US and Japan where online activities grew before social media became popular, it is less integrated into daily use