To recap. We have asked the same 10 questions since 2018, only amending as and when new platforms are introduced. We started in 2018 following the Brexit vote and ahead of the general election because we saw a general shift in attitude towards social media after the platforms became the subject of many impassioned debates.

We could not have imagined the seismic changes to our social interactions over the following five years - and the role social media would take to keep us connected while our physical interactions were stretched to the limit. As we settle into a more ‘normal’ routine of socialising, where does it leave our perception of and relationship with social media?

Dads use of social media grows.

Over the last few years, dads’ relationship with social media has developed. We continue to see a healthy growth in following accounts of people you don’t know personally – in other words ‘influencers’. A reasonable 45% of our respondents following ‘Influencers’ and most because they share the same hobbies and we saw  a significant 18% drop in negativity to influencer recommendation, with only a third saying a clear no, to being influenced by them. However, most dads still find new brands via friends and family, or Google at 66.7% a piece.

Consistently high, 72% of dads use social media to follow the news, current affairs and sports reports and 57% of dads reported they use social media for relaxation and entertainment.

Interestingly, we saw a significant uplift in Dads using Tik Tok – from 8.5% in 2021 to 53% in 2022. Just 12.5% of our mum respondents use the platform.

Brand influence on social media increases.

Parents are more likely to interact with brands on Facebook (50% mums; 33% dads), followed by Instagram (37.5% mums; 27% dads).

50% of mums say they enjoy following brands on social media, a healthy 16% growth since 2021 and 25% of these mums have discovered new products as a result. 62.5% of mums prefer brands to have a human voice, 52.5% are more likely to buy from a brand with lots of likes and positive comments and 47.5% have been drawn to a brand because of its social presence.  

41% of dads follow brands and businesses on social media. 56% look for likes and positive comments, 40% have been drawn to a brand because of its social presence and 40% are interested in an informative news feed. Only a third, are drawn to a ‘human’ voice. 23% of dads who follow a brand’s social media account have learned about new products on the platform.

The grip of the influencer.

We saw a ten percent growth to 67.5% of mums follow influencers, with 57.5% claiming they follow because they are inspiring and entertaining. 47.5% of mums discover brands on social media via influencer posts and 57.5% of mums have bought something because of an influencer recommendation. Overall, 82.5% of mums showed a positive response to influencer persuasion.

Parent attitude to sustainability.

Finally, we are interested in changing attitudes to the environment and living more sustainably. This year, 70% of mums and 53% of dads claim to be more aware of environmental issues and 35% of mums and 40% of dads became more conscious when they became a parent. 

NOTES:

In 2022, we received 170 responses. 140 mums and 30 dads. Due to the size of the sample, these insights are anecdotal, but we believe they also show us some interesting trends.