Australians are spending as many hours on screens as they would working a full-time job, averaging 41 hours per week and well above the global average of 33 hours, according to Digital 2026: Australia, released today by Meltwater and We Are Social.
The annual report provides one of the most comprehensive insights into the country’s digital habits, analysing trends in social media, advertising and attitudes toward emerging technologies revealing more time is being spent online than ever.
But, social media takes the blame for nearly half the time spent, cementing its influence in how Australians connect, consume and make decisions.
Six in ten Australians now use social networks, forums and community platforms to research products and services each month.
This shift underscores the growing importance of social-first strategies and AI-optimised content for brands hoping to reach audiences earlier in the decision-making process.
“Social is where discovery starts, trust is built and relevance is won,” said Suzie Shaw, CEO of We Are Social APAC.
“The smartest brands are moving away from siloed planning and towards integrated approaches that connect paid, owned and earned, because that’s how people experience the internet.”
Reddit’s rise and YouTube’s dominance
Reddit has become one of the fastest-growing platforms in Australia, with usage rates three times higher than the global average. The site now reaches over 23 million users and ranks as the country’s fifth most-visited website.
Australians also spend more time per Reddit session than they do on Facebook or Instagram, highlighting the platform’s growing potential for authentic, community-driven engagement.
Meanwhile, YouTube continues to dominate Australia’s attention economy, reaching 80 per cent of internet users and maintaining the country’s highest session duration at more than 11 minutes.
Interestingly, women aged over 65 make up YouTube’s largest advertising audience segment, followed by women aged 35 to 44, challenging its reputation as a youth-driven platform.
SEO to GEO
Australia’s total ad spend hit 20.7 billion US dollars in 2025, with digital accounting for nearly three-quarters of that total at 15.4 billion.
On a per-person basis, Australians spend an average of 769 US dollars on digital advertising, placing the country third globally.
Social media ad spend rose 11 per cent to 4.73 billion US dollars, while influencer marketing reached 590 million, up 13.5 per cent from the previous year.
Programmatic advertising continues to dominate, now representing 88.6 per cent of Australia’s total digital ad revenue.
“As trust declines and algorithm fatigue grows, Australians are increasingly turning to content and people that feel real and credible,” said Ross Candido, Vice President ANZ at Meltwater.
“Authenticity is the currency for brands looking to cut through the noise, and the opportunity now lies in building value-aligned partnerships with creators who can drive meaningful and measurable impact.”
While 30 per cent of Australians say they use ChatGPT monthly, enthusiasm around artificial intelligence remains muted, with only about a third expressing excitement.
Still, ChatGPT drives over 85 per cent of all chatbot-to-website referrals, signalling a growing shift from traditional SEO to “Generative Engine Optimisation,” or GEO.
The report found that 78 per cent of Australians, or roughly 21 million people, are active social media users. TikTok, YouTube and Instagram lead the way in time spent, while Facebook continues to dominate referral traffic, responsible for 67 per cent of all social media link clicks.
Video gaming remains another major part of digital life, with 81 per cent of Australians playing games, most commonly on mobile devices.
Both Meltwater and We Are Social say the findings point to a changing digital environment that requires a rethink of how brands engage and measure success online.
“With LLMs reshaping search, fake content on the rise and media more fragmented than ever, this year calls for a fundamental rethink, not just of strategy but how we track, measure and invest across digital,” said Candido.