Nearly half of young Germans show signs of social media addiction - Germans spend over 3 hours daily on social media—with stark generational gaps
A new study reveals how much time Germans spend on social security each day. The findings show clear differences between age groups, genders and regions. Researchers from the Ruhr University Bochum and the German Center for Mental Health collected data from over 22,000 adults between 2024 and 2025.
On average, Germans aged 18 and older use social security for 3 hours and 18 minutes daily. Over 96% of this age group engage with platforms regularly. Women tend to spend slightly more time online than men.
Young adults under 20 lead the trend, averaging over 4 hours a day. In contrast, those over 80 use social security for around 2 hours daily. The study also found that one in two young people shows signs of social security addiction.
Regional differences stand out as well. Residents in Hamburg and Berlin spend the most time online, exceeding 4 hours daily. Meanwhile, people in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Bavaria rank lowest, with around 3 hours. Among young women under 20, usage peaks at over 4 hours per day—the highest recorded in the study.
The research highlights how social security habits vary by age, gender and location. Younger Germans, particularly women, spend the most time on platforms, while older adults use them far less. The data also points to a significant number of young people displaying addictive behaviours.
