Technology

Visualizing the Daily Scroll of the Average Social Media User

Published

3 months ago

February 1, 2025

Harrison Schell

Featured Creator

Article/Editing:

Kayla Zhu

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

The Daily Scroll of the Average Social Media User

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Social media has become more than just a pastime—it’s a cornerstone of modern communication, business, and entertainment, with billions of users engaging daily.

This map, created by Harrison Schell from Made Visual, illustrates just how much time users dedicate to scrolling by comparing the length of their daily newsfeed consumption to the height of the Statue of Liberty.

The visualization draws from a 2024 study titled “Inside the funhouse mirror factory: How social media distorts perceptions of norms” by Robertson, C. E., del Rosario, K. S., and Van Bavel, J. J., which explores the impact of social media on perception and behavior.

How Long Do Social Media Users Scroll?

On social media, users casually scroll through an estimated 300 feet of newsfeed daily—about the same height as the Statue of Liberty.

Item	Length
Statue of Liberty	305ft
Daily scroll of average social media user	300ft

According to the paper, around 5 billion people worldwide use social media, and the average social media user now spends about two and a half hours a day online.

Social media platforms are meticulously engineered to capture and retain user attention. Sophisticated algorithms curate hyper-personalized content, creating addictive feedback loops that keep users scrolling.

These algorithms leverage behavioral data to predict and prioritize content that maximizes user engagement, often capitalizing on psychological triggers like novelty and reward.

This constant exposure to curated, dopamine-inducing content contributes to what many researchers describe as a form of behavioral addiction, making it increasingly difficult for users to disconnect.

Over time, excessive scrolling has been linked to negative impacts on mental health, including heightened anxiety, reduced attention spans, and feelings of inadequacy.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about the dominance of social media brands, check out this graphic that visualizes the most valuable media brands in the world.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Technology

Ranked: The Top 10 Most Wanted Skills for AI Jobs

More than ever, AI jobs are becoming increasingly sought after. We show the top skills listed in job postings in a rapidly expanding field.

Published

12 hours ago

April 26, 2025

Dorothy Neufeld

Bar chart showing the most wanted skills in AI jobs in 2024.

Ranked: The Top 10 Most In-Demand AI Job Skills

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

Python stands as the most sought-after skill across AI job postings in America.
Data analysis also ranks highly, as employers seek professionals who can extract insights from complex datasets using statistical techniques.
Additionally, Agile methodology was mentioned in over 88,000 postings—highlighting the value of this iterative project management style, especially in software roles.

In 2024, U.S. private investment in AI soared to $109 billion, driving ripple effects across the job market.

Overall, the number of postings for AI jobs increased by 20% in an ever-expanding field. Among the most frequently mentioned AI skills center around programming languages and data science. In addition, experience in project management ranks in the top 10 given the complexity of AI projects.

This visualization is part of Visual Capitalist’s AI Week, sponsored by Terzo, and shows the most in-demand skills for AI jobs, based on data from Lightcast via the 2025 AI Index Report.

Python Tops the List

Here are the 10 most wanted skills for AI jobs in 2024 based on the number of mentions in job postings:

Specialized Skill	# of AI Job Postings in the U.S. 2024	# of AI Job Postings in the U.S. 2012-2014	Growth
Python	199,213	31,782	527%
Computer science	193,341	83,826	131%
Data analysis	128,938	41,842	208%
SQL	119,441	51,304	133%
Data science	110,620	11,861	833%
Automation	102,210	22,157	361%
Project management	101,127	54,035	87%
Amazon Web Services	100,881	5,371	1,778%
Agile methodology	88,141	20,330	334%
Scalability	86,990	19,886	337%

With over 199,000 mentions, Python, a programming language, ranked first overall.

Today, Python plays a fundamental role in many AI jobs. This is driven by its simplicity and wide usage in developing, testing, and deploying AI systems. Similarly, SQL, another programming language, ranked among the top three most frequently mentioned AI skills.

As we can see, data analysis and data science skills are also in high demand. Data science skills include using statistical analysis to analyze massive sets of data. Through the use of advanced techniques, insights can be extracted from data sets such as consumer behaviors and demographic profiles.

Meanwhile, scalability skills appeared frequently given the importance of knowing how to manage larger volumes of data without compromising performance and accuracy within AI systems.

Looking beyond technical skills, we can see that project management experience and knowledge in Agile methodology rank among the top 10. Here, Agile methodology is a process that focuses on the self-management of teams to deliver regularly, improve continuously, and adapt quickly as the industry changes rapidly.

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