- Social networks, which emerged in the 1990s, originated from the idea of connecting different people, based on the premise that any human being on the planet can be reached in six degrees.
- The average daily time spent on social media in 2025 was 2 hours and 21 minutes, two minutes less than the previous year.
We have been talking about them and interacting with other people for years thanks to the possibilities they offer, but… how can we define social media and what are its main uses?
What is social media?
Social media could be defined as those digital platforms (whether websites or applications) that enable users to connect with each other, share information and/or content, interact or create online communities.
Since the birth of social media in the 1990s, it has evolved enormously, although with the common pattern of remaining true to its initial purpose: connecting users.
What is the origin of social media and what was the first social media platform?
In fact, SixDegrees—considered the first social media platform and launched in 1997—was created precisely with the premise of connecting everyone on the planet through just five intermediaries. Hence the name, which translated into Spanish would mean SeisGrados (Six Degrees).
Although this theory of six degrees of separation achieved great popularity with Kevin Bacon as its protagonist, the truth is that its formulation dates back much earlier, to a theory proposed in 1929 in a short story entitled ‘Chains’ by the Hungarian writer Frigyes Karinthy.
The basis of this proposal is that the number of acquaintances each person has multiplies exponentially as the number of links in the chain increases.
What are the key components of social networks?
The first component of being part of social networks is the creation of a profile with which each user can identify, through information such as a description of their interests or the inclusion of a photo or avatar.
Depending on the social network in question, there can be notable differences between them in these areas, and there has also been an ongoing debate for years about anonymity on social networks and certain inappropriate uses by some users precisely because they are protected by an unknown or fictitious identity.
After creating their profiles, users connect with each other (friends, family, work colleagues), generating networks in which they share and consume different types of information, such as text messages, photographs, videos or links to websites.
The next phase of social media behaviour is interaction, both with content and with other users, which can take the form of comments, likes, content recommendations or sharing with other audiences.
How much time do people spend on social media?
According to the Digital 2025 report, the daily average usage is 2 hours and 21 minutes per day, which is a slight decrease of two minutes compared to 2024.
Looking back at previous years, we see an increase over the last decade, from 1 hour and 45 minutes in 2014, although the highest value was reached in 2022 with 2 hours and 31 minutes.
What are the main uses of social media?
Just over half of social media users—specifically 50.8%—cite keeping in touch with family and friends as their primary reason for using social media.
The next most common reason, at 39%, is to fill free time, followed by reading news at 34.5%.
30.5% say they use social media to find content, a slightly higher percentage than the 29.2% who say they do so to see what people are talking about.
The other two reasons that exceed the 25% threshold are finding products to buy (27.3%) and finding inspiration for things to do or buy (27.2%).
Frequently asked questions
Digital platforms that allow users to connect, interact and share different types of content (such as text, videos or images).
SixDegrees, launched in 1997, is considered the first social network in history.
The origin of SixDegrees, the first social network, and shared by those that have appeared since, is to connect people. Its name refers precisely to the theory that the entire world population is connected in six degrees.
Two hours and 21 minutes.
The main use is to stay in touch with family and friends, for 50.8% of all users, followed by filling free time, as stated by 39% of users.
