As of December 2025, Australians spend an average of 2 hours and 27 minutes on social media daily, according to data aggregated by platforms like Meta and independent research firms such as Roy Morgan. This figure is calculated by measuring active user session times across major platforms and extrapolating to the national population.
Platforms utilise proprietary algorithms to track user engagement. Meta Business Suite, currently available to Australian businesses, provides aggregated, anonymised data on audience demographics and behaviour – including time spent on Facebook and Instagram – but does not reveal individual user data due to privacy regulations enforced by the Australian Information Commissioner. Tools like Sprout Social, widely used in Australia, integrate with these platform APIs to provide businesses with reporting dashboards. These dashboards display metrics like average session duration, frequency of visits, and peak usage times. In 2026, TikTok is expected to further integrate its Business Insights tool with third-party analytics platforms, offering similar data access. Snapchat’s Australian advertising platform now includes features allowing businesses to view aggregated time-spent metrics for users exposed to their ads. These systems rely on event tracking – recording user actions like scrolling, video views, and link clicks – to build a picture of overall engagement.
Essentially, social media platforms and integrated tools measure user activity through event tracking and algorithmic analysis to provide aggregated insights into daily time spent.
