Technology’s Influence on the Internet’s Rapid Transformation in 2025

In 2025, the number of Internet users reached 5.56 billion people, which is 67.9% of the world’s population. The number of social media users has grown to 5.24 billion, and the digital industry continues to transform, offering new opportunities for business.

Together with a digital marketing agency from the UAE, we analyze the main findings that will help entrepreneurs and marketers understand where the digital world is heading and which strategies can be most effective.

Artificial intelligence is becoming the standard

AI is confidently being introduced into everyday life and business processes. ChatGPT remains the leader among AI tools with 310 million unique users per month and 4.75 billion visits. However, more and more competitors are appearing on the market – Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity.ai, which are gradually gaining an audience.

The key change is the integration of AI into popular services. Google has already integrated Gemini into 3 billion Workspace accounts, and Microsoft is actively promoting Copilot as a tool for working in Windows. Companies that ignore AI risk losing their competitive advantage.

Social networks are a key promotion tool

Social networks remain one of the main tools for interacting with customers. In 2025, 5.24 billion people use them, and 50% of users specifically search for information about brands there.

Content consumption trends differ by age:

• Young people (16-34) more often search for products on Instagram and TikTok.
• Users 35+ trust search engines and TV advertising more.
• For businesses, this means that there is no longer a one-size-fits-all approach – you need to take into account the preferences of different age groups.

Video content dominates

Video is the main driver of Internet traffic, accounting for 75% of all mobile traffic. YouTube remains the leading video platform with the highest engagement, but TikTok continues to take away audiences thanks to its short format and personalization algorithms.

Marketers should consider that users spend twice as much time on YouTube as on TikTok, which means long-form videos are still in demand.

Online Commerce Has Stabilized

Global online sales grew to $4.12 trillion (+14.6% year-on-year), but after the pandemic growth, the share of e-commerce in retail sales fell to 17.3%. This means that consumers are increasingly combining online and offline purchases.

The most popular product categories:

• Fashion – $770 billion
• Food – $680 billion
• DIY and building materials – $500 billion
• Electronics – $465 billion

Marketplaces and brands should take this into account when forming sales strategies.

New social networks are experiencing difficulties with growth

Although new platforms appear regularly, they find it difficult to compete with giants. Threads from Meta has 320 million active users, but 99% of the audience of large social networks is already present on several platforms, which makes it difficult for new services to grow.

This confirms the importance of multi-platform strategies – businesses need to be present on several platforms at once.

The average time spent on social media has decreased to 2 hours 21 minutes per day. However, users have become more active in exploring different platforms, and on average each person uses 6.83 social networks per month.

This means that it is important for brands to adapt content to different platforms and test new formats in order not to lose reach.

People care less about digital security

An interesting trend is the decrease in user concerns about the protection of personal data. The share of people expressing concern about online security has decreased by 7.1% over two years.

At the same time, 65% of users always accept cookies without thinking about the possible risks. This may mean that people are getting used to online surveillance or are simply tired of constant notifications about privacy policies.

Mobile networks are accelerating, and traffic continues to grow

Mobile internet speeds have increased by an average of 25%, and users now consume 21.6 GB of traffic per month.

Video remains the main driver of growth, which once again confirms that video advertising and content are key tools in digital strategies.

Generation 50+ is an underestimated audience segment

People 50+ make up 30% of the adult Internet audience, and their consumer activity is not inferior to young people:

• In the US, they make 53% of all purchases
• In e-commerce, they account for 40% of online transactions
• In the EU, consumers 50+ are responsible for 50% of all spending

However, only 4% of people over 65 feel that marketing takes their interests into account. Brands should reconsider their advertising campaigns and work more actively with this audience.

Conclusion

AI, video and social networks continue to dominate, and online commerce is stabilizing. Users are becoming more selective in choosing platforms and content formats, and the 50+ generation remains an important but undervalued audience.

For businesses and marketers, the main challenges for 2025 are adapting to new technologies, taking into account age differences in digital consumption, and diversifying advertising channels. To keep up with the trends, be sure to visit the WGG digital marketing agency blog.