Recently people tend to turn towards online rather than traditional communication due to its many advantages like easy access and flexibility. Communication has undoubtedly been a major reason to go online. Internet usage has been helping billions of people stay connected despite geographical or social circumstances. Parents with children studying abroad, siblings living in different parts of the world, and even people in long-distance relationships keep in touch thanks to technology.
Online communication comes in different types: from social media to messenger platforms such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, to video call platforms like Skype. WhatsApp is by far, the most used messenger every month in the world, and more than four million messages are being sent through the platform. Despite the newer and more modern communication platforms, e-mails have remained a leading activity conducted online, followed by looking up information, and internet banking.
Facebook Messenger is the most used messenger platform among Americans, with 88 percent stating to be using it regularly. Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Skype followed in the ranking. WhatsApp is consistently attracting more and more active users every month, with nearly 64 million users in the United States, and more than 140 million in Brazil and Indonesia. On the other hand, instant messengers like Viber seem to plateau.
Facebook MessengerDifferent online communication platforms provide different services. Messengers like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp attract users with quick communication that is very similar to a face-to-face one, whereas video-based platforms like Skype are preferred for a more visual experience. E-mails do not necessarily follow those criteria of easy or instant communication, but are nevertheless widely used. Over 300 billion e-mails were estimated to be sent each day in 2020.
WhatsAppE-mails first came into use in the 1960s. The messages have evolved since then and generated increasing user numbers, amounting to over four billion in 2020. Unlike e-mails, Skype provides more interactive communication and specializes in video calls. It was launched in 2003 and the number of users skyrocketed over the years. The voice call features of messengers are not to be underestimated either. Other popular video communication platforms include Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams.
Mobile messengersWith the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in 2020, leading to people being working and studying from home, platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams thrived. Daily Zoom usage peaked in March 2020. Millions of video calls are going through each minute spent on media all over the world. Individuals participating in Zoom meetings equal around 200 thousand, and over 50 thousand users are connected to Microsoft Teams.
Zoom's revenueThe communications category contains a wide range of statistics on the ever-expanding online communications market. In this section, users will find an overview of the most popular online communication tools, up-to-date information on online messaging volumes, and survey data on online user behavior and communication habits.
Statista offers comprehensive data on leading online communication services and social networks. The platform also provides detailed reports, user numbers, and revenue figures for the most popular messaging apps worldwide. These figures are complemented with insights into the use of voice messages, video calls, and other relevant trends and technologies transforming the digital communications landscape.
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