These are the social networks seeing increases and decreases in usage.
There is no denying that social media platforms have become an essential part of our daily online lives. We use them to connect with friends and family, stay informed, and enjoy entertainment. But which platforms are the most popular today? In this article, we'll discuss a report showing which platforms have gained the most new users and which have lost the most.
This analysis, conducted by Buffer, a social media analytics company, examined over 52 million posts across 10 of the most popular social media platforms. Their goal was to reveal the current state of global social media use in March 2026.
- Fastest growing social networks
According to a Buffer report, Platform X saw the largest increase in engagement, at 44%. Facebook followed with 11%, and TikTok with 3%. Pinterest also experienced significant growth; although not as well-known as the other platforms, it boasts a large global user base that is clearly expanding.
It's important to note that this report analyzes increases or decreases in engagement and does not necessarily reflect the total number of users on these platforms. However, it does give us an idea of which platforms are experiencing daily increases or decreases in usage.
As Buffer points out, an increase or decrease in engagement on a social network does not necessarily reflect an increase or decrease in the number of users on the platform. It is simply statistical data reflecting current usage compared to baseline data collected in 2025.
Platforms that are losing their use
On the other hand, Buffer reports that some social networks are experiencing a decline in usage, at least compared to last year's data. Some of this decline may be surprising, as you'll see, given that these networks boast millions of users worldwide.
LinkedIn is the platform that saw the biggest drop, at 56%. It is a service designed specifically for business-related postings, job searching, and finding professionals to join organizations.
The decline in Instagram usage is also surprising, at 26%. It's worth noting that it's one of the most widely used social networks today, with a very large user base. Threads also saw an 18% drop, according to a Buffer report.
In short, these are the social networks that saw the biggest increase in engagement, as well as those that saw the biggest decrease. Are any of them particularly surprising? As mentioned, this data reflects engagement and doesn't necessarily mean that the number of users who use these services daily to connect has actually increased or decreased. It's worth noting that some social networks impact privacy, so you should always use them responsibly.