700 thousand new users every day join social media platforms globally

In social media platforms, the world is witnessing a remarkable digital transformation within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a transformation resulting from the increase in the number of Internet users in general, which indicates a radical development in the patterns of communication and information circulation, after the media center of gravity gradually moved from traditional means – print newspapers, radio and television – to digital platforms based on the Internet.

This transformation in social media platforms in particular and the Internet in general reflects a profound change in the nature of the relationship between the audience and media content. The recipient has become an active participant in its production and circulation, in an interactive digital environment characterized by speed and widespread distribution.

Concerning this, the Information and Decision Support Center of the Council of Ministers issued a new information report entitled“The shift from traditional media to digital media… Reality and prospects“, which we highlight in the following lines, as we monitor the extent of digital transformation on the Internet and social media platforms. social; So keep reading.

Increase in the number of Internet users

The Information and Decision Support Center report reviewed the most prominent global indicators, which reflect the breadth of digital media and the extent of its widespread influence in various fields. It showed that the number of Internet users around the world reached about 6.04 billion users until October 2025. This represents about 73% of the world’s total population of about 8.25 billion people, based on the “Digital 2026 Global Overview Report.”

These numbers indicate that the number of users has doubled in one decade, after the number was approximately 3 billion users in 2015. Despite this wide spread, approximately 2.21 billion people around the world are still out of the scope of Internet connectivity in a phenomenon calledThe digital divide, and most of them are concentrated in South Asia and the African continent, which reflects the persistence of this gap between countries and regions. Different.

Mobile phone gateway to the digital world

The report also confirmed that the mobile phone has become the primary means of connecting to the Internet, with 96% of network users around the world relying on it for some of their digital activities. Mobile devices also account for about 60% of the total global Internet traffic.

This trend reflects the noticeable shift towards the use of mobile devices, rather than traditional computers, especially in major economies, where about six out of every ten users have come to rely on laptops or desktop computers for their online activities.

Accelerated growth of social media platforms

According to the report, the number of social media users in the world reached about 5.66 billion users as of October 2025; This is equivalent to approximately 68% of the total world population, and these platforms have also witnessed remarkable growth in just one year! 259 million new users joined it between October 2024 and October 2025, equivalent to more than 700 thousand users per day, or about 7.8 new users every second!

The dominance of major platforms in the digital landscape

Then the data indicates that Facebook still maintains its position as the most widely spread social network in the entire world, after the number of its active users exceeded 3 billion users as of February 2025; This will be the first platform to exceed one billion users since its launch.

What is worth noting here is that Meta Platforms acquires four of the largest social media platforms in the world, which are:

• Facebook
• WhatsApp
• Messenger
• Instagram

On the other hand, China became a strong and major competitor in this promising field, through platforms such as “WeChat” and “QQ”, as well as the “Douyin” application, on the basis of which the international version known as TikTok was launched.

Digital media in Egypt

The report also shed light on the path of digital transformation in the Egyptian media, noting that Egypt has one of the oldest media systems in the Arab region, and has witnessed a gradual development through multiple stages that began with the print press in the nineteenth century, through the spread of radio and television, all the way to modern digital platforms.

In this regard, data from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology indicate that the number of mobile Internet users in Egypt reached about 92.6 million users in December 2025, representing about 75% of the total mobile subscribers, and fixed Internet subscriptions increased to 12.7 million subscribers compared to 11.6 million subscribers in December 2024.

Artificial intelligence supports digital media

The Information and Decision Support Center report drew attention to the fact that artificial intelligence technologies have become one of the most prominent factors supporting the development of digital media. It contributes to improving the quality of journalistic production through machine translation tools, data analysis, and information extraction, in addition to reducing routine burdens on journalists, and raising the efficiency of work within media institutions.

In the Egyptian context, official expectations indicate that the amount of artificial intelligence’s contribution to the gross domestic product may reach about 7% by 2030, and this is according to estimates byThe National Council for Artificial Intelligence, which reflects the growing role of these technologies in supporting the national economy, including the media sector.

At the end of this accelerating digital landscape, it does not seem that social media platforms – those platforms that receive 700,000 users every day – are turning into a global system that redistributes interests and knowledge in a single moment.

As the circle expands and the density increases, the real challenge becomes how to manage this massive flow of interaction and information on these platforms and all websites. So here comes the role of digital media; The space that tests societies’ ability to transform technical momentum into sustainable knowledge value.

As for artificial intelligence, it is – according to the vision ofThe Earth Guards Foundation– a crucial element in this equation. Because it is a force that redefines the mechanisms of media production itself, and the most important question is: How can artificial intelligence be used to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhance sustainability paths in various sectors?