First published 9 April 2026
A QUT Digital Media Research Centre study has found Australians’ social media use is far more private, varied, and personalised than thought, and that YouTube now functions less like social media and more like a vast “video encyclopedia”.
Private messaging is the most popular feature for people using social media while news is often the most unimportant component of their usage.
The Australian Media Uses Report: Social Media & YouTube 2026 draws on a nationally representative survey of 2020 Australians and 70 indepth interviews to map how people engage with digital platforms and the internet in their everyday media lives.
Lead author and acclaimed media scholar Professor Amanda Lotz said the findings challenged many assumptions about what Australians do online.
“When we talk about ‘using social media’, we’re actually talking about many different activities,” Professor Lotz said.
“Our data shows most Australians prioritise private messaging and content from accounts they follow. Public posting is rare, and news makes up only a tiny fraction of what people see, and many don’t see any at all.”
The report shows:
- 87 per cent of Australians use social media, but only Facebook, Instagram and YouTube Shorts are used by more than half of respondents.
- Private messaging is the most valued feature across platforms, with 71 per cent rating it important.
- TikTok stands apart, with users favouring algorithmdriven recommendations and search.
- 88 per cent of Australians have never posted to YouTube.
- 61 per cent of Australians get at least 80 per cent of their media via the internet, yet one in five experience daily problems with access.
Coauthor Dr Gabriela Lunardi said the research highlighted how differently Australians curate their online environments.
“Two people using the same platform can have completely different experiences,” Dr Lunardi said.
“Interviewees showed us feeds dominated by friends, others by hobbies, and some with no news at all. This diversity is why public conversations about social media often feel disconnected from the lived experience of most individuals.”
The researchers found that while YouTube was used by 85 per cent of Australians surveyed, interviewees consistently rejected the idea that it is ‘social media’.
Instead, the survey data indicated that information-based videos, including tutorials, howto guides, and factual content, were the most important category for YouTube users, accounting for around half of estimated viewing.
“YouTube has become a goto resource for solving problems and learning new things,” Professor Lotz said.
“It’s less like television and more like a global reference library.”
The study also revealed the extent to which Australians now rely on the internet for media access, regardless of geography.
“Whether in major cities or remote regions, Australians depend on the internet for most of their media,” Dr Lunardi said.
“But many still face reliability issues that affect their ability to access essential information. Almost 20 per cent of our respondents reported daily internet problems.”
Read the full Australian Media Uses Report: Social Media & YouTube 2026 report online. It was conducted by the Understanding Twentyfirst Century Media Uses and Purposes project team which is funded by the Australian Research Council.
Main image: Professor Amanda Lotz and Dr Gabriela Lunardi
Media contact:
Amanda Weaver
QUT Media
media@qut.edu.au
07 3138 2361 / 0407 585 901 (After Hours)
