Better Internet for Kids

Which social networks do Austrian young people use in 2023? 

The six most popular social networks among youth in Austria in 2023 were:

1. WhatsApp (96 per cent). With an unvaried percentage since 2022, WhatsApp is once again confirmed as the most used app to keep in touch with peers and family. (For reference, here is the data for previous years. 2021: 98per cent per cent; 2020: 91 per cent; 2019: 83 per cent; 2018: 85 per cent; 2017: 93 per cent; 2016: 94 per cent).
2. YouTube (94 per cent). With one lost percentage point since 2022, YouTube is the second most often used app. (For reference, 2021: 93 per cent; 2020: 91 per cent; 2019: 78 per cent; 2018: 81 per cent; 2017: 90 per cent; 2016: 87 per cent).
3. Instagram (75 per cent).In 2022, Instagram scored 84 per cent in the survey. (In previous years, 2021: 84 per cent; 2020: 76 per cent; 2019: 71 per cent; 2018: 63 per cent; 2017: 68 per cent; 2016: 55 per cent).
4. Snapchat (69 per cent). In 2022, Snapchat scored 70 per cent in the study. (In previous years, 2021: 75 per cent; 2020: 62 per cent; 2019: 52 per cent; 2018: 59 per cent; 2017: 65 per cent; 2016: 52 per cent).
5. TikTok (68 per cent). For reference, in previous years TikTok scored: 70 per cent in 2022; 2021: 57 per cent; 2020: 42 per cent; 2019: 19 per cent; 2018: 17 per cent; 2017: 26 per cent).
6. Pinterest (39 per cent). For reference, in previous years Pinterest placed itself at 42 per cent in 2022; 2021: 39 per cent; 2020: 40 per cent).

BeReal new in ranking, losses for Discord 

WhatsApp (total use: 96 per cent, of which 91 per cent is daily use), YouTube (total use: 94 per cent, of which 59 per cent daily) and Instagram (total use: 75 per cent, of which 71 per cent daily) remain at the top of the list of the most popular internet platforms of Austrian young people.

The photo-sharing app Snapchat (69 per cent overall, 76 per cent of which are daily) and the video app TikTok (68 per cent overall, 80 per cent of which are daily) remain close to each other and practically at the same level as last year. Snapchat, however, has recorded the strongest year-on-year growth in daily use with a plus nine percentage points.

The chat platform Discord fell out of the top six (34 per cent in total, of which 40 per cent daily), which lost a whole 12 percentage points of its young users in a year-on-year comparison. The possibility of meeting friends in person again after the pandemic and lockdowns is clearly reflected here. The digital pinboard Pinterest (39 per cent overall, 16 per cent daily) has overtaken Discord this year. The messenger service Telegram has dropped seven percentage points (17 per cent overall, 32 per cent of them daily), is no longer in the top 14 for the first time and has thus dropped out of the ranking of the Youth Internet Monitor. The instant photo platform BeReal, on the other hand, is represented for the first time as it’s growing rapidly, and is now used by 18 per cent of the young people surveyed, 71 per cent of whom use it daily.

Which social networks do girls use, and which do boys use? 

The Youth Internet Monitor 2023 also shows that there are still large differences in use between the genders in many areas. Pinterest continues to be significantly more popular with the female (58 per cent) target group than with male young people (21 per cent).

In contrast, the gaming platforms Twitch (girls: 13 per cent, boys: 38 per cent) and Discord (girls: 14 per cent, boys: 54 per cent) are used by considerably more male youths. The image forum Reddit (girls: 9 per cent, boys: 30 per cent) is also popular with male youth. The exception remains the gaming platform Roblox, which is used equally among the female and male target audience (21 per cent each).

Music and video streaming: Netflix still in first place 

For the third time, the Youth Internet Monitor also surveyed which and how often music and video streaming platforms are used by Austria's young people. The result: 75 per cent of young people use Netflix, 38 per cent of them daily. Amazon Prime Video (58 per cent, of which 19 per cent daily), Spotify (68 per cent, of which 64 per cent daily), Sky (17 per cent, of which 26 per cent daily), Apple Music (12 per cent, of which 57 per cent daily), SoundCloud (10 per cent, of which 27 per cent daily) and Dazn (11 per cent, of which 29 per cent daily) follow at a considerable distance. Note: multiple answers were possible in this section of the study.

In the case of the streaming services Netflix (girls: 80 per cent, boys: 70 per cent) and Disney+ (girls: 41per cent, boys: 33per cent), the survey also showed that these are used by significantly more female than male young people.

About the survey

For the Youth Internet Monitor 2023, a representative online survey was conducted by the Institute for Youth Culture Research. For this purpose, 400 young people aged 11 to 17 were asked about their use of social networks in December 2022.

Please find below the previous iterations of the study.

• Infographic "Youth Internet Monitor 2023" available in PNG and PDF.
• Infographic "Youth Internet Monitor 2022" available in PNG and PDF.
• Infographic "Youth Internet Monitor 2021" available in PNG and PDF.
• Infographic "Youth Internet Monitor 2020" available in PNG and PDF.
• Infographic "Youth Internet Monitor 2019" available in PNG.
• Infographic "Youth Internet Monitor 2018" available in PNG.
• Infographic "Youth Internet Monitor 2017" available in PNG.
• Infographic "Youth Internet Monitor 2016" available in PNG.   

Find out more about the work of the Austrian Safer Internet Centre, including its awareness raising, helpline, hotline and youth participation services – or find similar information for Safer Internet Centres throughout Europe.