TikTok Becomes the Most Popular and Most Engaged Social Media Platform

TikTok emerged as the most popular and widely engaged social media platform throughout 2024. According to a study titled Social Media Trends in Indonesia, presented by the Director of Communications at Indonesia Indicator (I2), Rustika Herlambang, on Monday (December 30, 2024), TikTok achieved the highest user engagement among five analyzed platforms: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Rustika revealed that user posts on TikTok reached 107,998,788, garnering a total of 17,329,380,404 interactions. TikTok's strength lies in its ability to deliver light, expressive, and relatable content reflecting everyday life. "The democratization of viral content on TikTok, where every user has an equal opportunity to gain popularity, is its main attraction," Rustika explained. Users spent an average of 38 hours and 26 minutes per month on the platform, reflecting its high engagement levels. Popular content categories included education, entertainment, food, beauty, fashion, health, and daily activities.

Rustika also highlighted TikTok’s evolution from a simple entertainment platform into a significant space for public discourse, including politics. With most of its users being Gen Z and millennials, political messaging on TikTok is tailored to resonate with younger audiences. During Indonesia’s 2024 Presidential Election, TikTok played a pivotal role in reaching young voters and building candidate profiles through accessible and creative narratives.

Meanwhile, Instagram maintained its status as one of the favorite platforms, recording 18,337,890 posts and 1,225,898,887 interactions. It is known for its aesthetic and informative content and serves as a hub for public figures and influencers to engage directly with their followers. On the other hand, Twitter ranked third with 175,802,954 posts and 965,350,778 interactions, while YouTube secured the fourth position with 40,656,630 posts and 235,617,748 interactions. Facebook rounded out the top five with 11,031,881 posts and 43,920,839 interactions.

Research conducted by Indonesia Indicator using the Intelligence Socio Analytic (ISA) system revealed that from January 1 to December 21, 2024, Indonesian users generated 353,828,143 posts across the five primary social media platforms. Most posts carried neutral or positive sentiments, while negative posts accounted for 28%. Twitter contributed the most to negative sentiment, with 39% of posts categorized as negative, though not all received significant interactions.

In contrast to Twitter, TikTok and Instagram displayed more optimistic characteristics, with a dominance of neutral and positive sentiments and lower negative sentiment levels of only around 8%-9%. Emotional analysis revealed that anticipation, trust, and joy were the most expressed emotions on social media this year. This underscores the role of social media as a space for sharing information, hope, and experiences in a spirit of togetherness.

Data from We Are Social indicated that the number of social media users in Indonesia in 2024 reached 139 million, about 49.9% of the total population. YouTube had the highest number of users, at 139 million (53.8% of the population), followed by Instagram with 122 million users (47.3%), Facebook with 118 million users (45.9%), and TikTok with 137 million users.

Rustika added that the dynamics of different social media platforms reflect the diverse preferences of users across various groups. "As social media continues to evolve, its role is expected to become increasingly significant in the lives of Indonesians, whether in politics, social interactions, or daily communication," she explained. Social media has not only served as a platform for entertainment but also as a primary medium for interaction and communication across different segments of society.