People are making use of their maps apps just as frequently as they use social media, a new survey about social media habits in Malta has revealed. 

Asked what kind of apps they use most frequently, almost two-thirds (61%) of respondants to a Misco survey said that they used social media apps and navigation or maps apps in equal measure. 

Misco director of marketing Rebecca Gera said that this could likely be attributed to commuters seeking a reprieve from traffic, especially through apps that indicate the density of road traffic, in a bid to find alternative routes. 

The study is the seventh of its kind published by the Malta Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Misco, looking into the browsing habits of local internet users. 

Map and social networking apps are equally popular among users. Graphic: Misco

The data collected is self-reported by users through an online survey that was distributed to a representative sample of participants. 

Some 52% cited productivity apps, such as for banking, as their most frequently used apps, while almost half of users (43%) said they most frequently made use of take-out apps such as Bolt or Wolt. 

Facebook still most popular 

In terms of the prevalence of social media apps, WhatsApp retained its strong presence among users, with 99% of respondents saying that they made use of the app at least once a day. 

Gera said that this upward trajectory in usage reflects the predominance of smartphone usage - with 91% of respondents saying they made use of a smartphone in 2024. 

Facebook, she added, retains its universal popularity among all age groups, with 95% of respondants saying they use it every day, followed by YouTube (95%) and Messenger (94%), while other social media platforms have not seen much movement in terms of use.

Instagram has gradually increased in popularity, going from 39% of people using it once a day in 2017 to an all-time high of 66% in 2024. Gera noted that while Facebook remained the most popular platform for most social media activities, people were more likely to choose Instagram to keep up with influencers 

The report also found that social media is rapidly outpacing every other traditional media in dominating its users’ time. While 87% of respondents said they use social media once a day, only 53% said they watch television every day. Some 75% said they listened to the radio and 46% said they listened to music on audio streaming apps every day, but this was mostly attributed to people listening while in their cars, Gera said.  

When it comes to consuming the news, numbers indicate that users’ interest is dwindling, with those saying they read the news on online portals going from 74% in 2017 to 66% in 2024. 

Some 43% said they read online magazines, and only 7% said they read a printed newspaper. 

Overall, Gera said that women tend to engage more with social media than men and are more likely to consume streaming content hosted on websites like Netflix or Disney+. Men on the other hand showed a preference for television and are also likely to spend more time watching YouTube than women. 

The 16-24-year-old cohort, she continued, have the least affinity for traditional media, and were more likely to subscribe to apps like Netflix and Spotify and spend time watching YouTube. 

Misco head of marketing Rebecca Gera during the presentation. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Consumers troubled by targeted advertising but still click through 

Peering into user’s habits when it comes to advertising, the report found that 65% of people said they have been enticed into looking into a brand after encountering an ad for it, with women (73%) far more likely to engage with advertising than men (57%) in any format. Age also seems to play a part as 78% of 16- 24-year-olds admit they’ve clicked through a brand’s website through ads. 

However, Gera said that consumers are also increasingly aware of seeing targeted advertising based on their browsing history, with 67% saying it makes them feel uncomfortable and only 7% saying they are at ease about it. 

The most prominent activity users reported engaging in while using the internet is sending emails (91%), followed by banking (84%) and paying bills (83%), checking directions (83%), checking for news and weather (80%) and purchasing products or services (77%). 

When it comes to keeping themselves entertained online, Gera said men are more likely to gamble and visit weblogs while women are more likely to spend their time playing non-gambling games, watching movies or series and looking up reviews or service information. 

Gen Z, Gera continued, are more likely than any other cohort to watch video content and this is reflected in their predominant use of platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and adds to the perception that they overall prefer video content to written content. 

Looking at online shopping, Gera said that this is most popular with people aged 25 to 34, with 87% of these saying they had purchased products online in the past year. 

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of those who shop online said they purchase from local stores, with Gera saying that the numbers highlight how important it is for local businesses to go online as well.