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Social Media and Mental Health: Social Media Addiction

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Excessive use of social media can fuel anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Here’s how to change your habits and improve your mood.

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Malaysia ranks top 5 globally in mobile social media penetration, highest in region | New Straits Times

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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia was ranked top five globally and highest in Southeast Asia for mobile social media penetration, according to Hootsuite and We Are Social in their latest Digital 2019 report.

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Known for its beaches, diving, rainforest, and mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultural influences, Malaysia is rapidly developing its digital and mobile connectivity. This insight article focuses on the key facts about social media penetration and usage in Malaysia that are essential for brands to understand when trying to market to the audience in Malaysia.

69% of Malaysians use the internet regularly to read news, watch videos, and keep in touch with friends via social media. Malaysia, too, is a mobile-first country, with 88% of Malaysians owning a smartphone. A brand will only succeed with a strong understanding of the market and its audiences' online consumption behavior.

Social Media User Penetration in Malaysia

As of January 2021, 86% of the people in Malaysia use social media. It was a rise of 24% from 2016, when social media users accounted for only 62% of Malaysia's entire population.

YouTube sees the highest number of users with a penetration rate of 94%, followed by Facebook at 89% and Instagram at 75% (Statista, 2021).

Similarly, Singapore and Indonesia both see the top 4 platforms to be YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, with YouTube being the most used across the two countries (ID: 94%, SG: 89%)

Malaysia is the leading video-consuming country in Southeast Asia, with an average of 7.2 hours a week spent watching online videos.

Malaysians spend about an average of 3 hours a day on social media (Statista, 2021).

53% of social media users use social media for work purposes (Statista, 2021).

💡 Takeaway: Malaysians generally spend quite a bit of time on social media daily for various purposes such as work or leisure. Therefore, brands trying to reach the audience in this market must prioritize the top social media channels in their marketing plan, whether for B2C or B2B purposes.
YouTube

According to Cisco, online video accounted for about 79% of internet traffic in 2022 worldwide. YouTube was responsible for more than one-third of mobile internet traffic. In Malaysia, YouTube has the highest penetration compared to other social media platforms. Entertainment-related categories see the most significant number of searches with terms such as 'Movie' and 'Lagu' (which means 'song' in Malay) taking the top two most searched terms on this channel.

Here are some additional key facts about the use of YouTube by the audience in Malaysia:

According to Google reports, the potential YouTube ad audience reach in Malaysia is 23.4 million.

80% of YouTube views in Malaysia are outside of the 8-10 pm prime time. YouTube is consumed at a personal time by each user throughout the day.

7 out of 10 YouTube channels watched by Malaysians are local channels with localized content.

Music, food, gaming, and beauty categories are seeing the most consistent growth on YouTube in Malaysia.

💡Takeaways: With the high usage of YouTube in Malaysia and with local content deemed as highly important to this audience, a localized content approach should be highly considered and adopted by brands looking to appeal to the Malaysian audience.
Think with Google: Discover here to learn more about what people in Malaysia are watching online!

Facebook

Facebook has undoubtedly become one of the most popular social networking platforms in Malaysia. Malaysia's number of Facebook users grows yearly based on the continued development of interest in Facebook among social media users (Statista 2021). In 2020, statistics showed that slightly more males than women used Facebook and the largest age group of users is those aged 25 to 34.

These figures were a breath of fresh air for brands and digital marketers as the buyers in this age bracket also comprise parents, homeowners, and customers at the pinnacle of their wealth. They represent the essential target demographic of potential customers for most businesses today.

Here are some additional key facts about the usage of Facebook in Malaysia:

Among Facebook users in Malaysia, 84% access the platform via mobile phones only, 0.6% access Facebook on a laptop or desktop computer only, and the rest (16%) access via both phones and computers (Datareportal, Digital 2021 Malaysia).

There is an average number of 19 clicks on Facebook ads by Malaysians monthly. Women (24 clicks) seem to click on ads more than men (16 clicks).

Facebook ads see a quarter-on-quarter increase of 4% in their reach in Malaysia, which is about 2-4 times higher than in Singapore and Malaysia. (SG: 3%, ID: 0%)

In terms of post engagement, status posts have the highest engagement, followed by photo posts and video posts.

💡Takeaways: Facebook is where Malaysians connect with their family and friends and their favorite brands. Ads on social media see the top form of brand discovery in Malaysia, making this ideal audience for most brands very receptive to advertisements on social media. However, keep in mind to take on a mobile-first approach when marketing on Facebook to the users in Malaysia.
Instagram

Malaysians are among the Asia Pacific region's most active Instagram users. In August 2021, Malaysia had about 15 million Instagram users, accounting for 45% of the country's total population. Interestingly, while social media users in Malaysia tend to be younger, the advent of the 'Insta-Gran' is gaining traction in Malaysia; over half of Malaysian Internet users aged 55-65 now use Instagram.

Here are some additional key facts about Instagram in Malaysia:

Instagram has a potential ad audience reach of 14 million in Malaysia (Statista 2021).

Malaysians actively use Instagram for brand research and get to know new products through advertisements on Instagram and Influencer collaborations.

The majority of Instagram users in Malaysia are female, comprising 57% of the ad audience reach. It is similar to Singapore's, with 56% of its ad audience on Instagram being female.

Moreover, Malaysians also use Instagram to connect and stay updated with their favorite celebrities and influencers. For instance, Digital Business Lab has worked with some influencers in Malaysia on exciting brand campaigns. Such as one with Jill Stuart Eyewear.

🔎 Discover how we supported the brand to raise brand awareness through localized social media marketing, including Malaysia and other Asian countries!
💡Takeaways: When looking to market to a younger female audience (aged 18-34) in Malaysia, brands should develop an effective Instagram marketing strategy. Having a good mix of localized and engaging content, leveraging influencers, and this audience's receptiveness to paid media.
TikTok

TikTok is the fastest-growing social media channel that offers a unique take on internet content sharing. Users can use it to make short videos with music, filters, and other effects. The ability for creators to amplify their creative skills on this platform is limitless. Besides, TikTok's rapid development and appeal among young Malaysians, coupled with the rise of video engagement in Malaysia, make TikTok a platform to highly consider and incorporate as part of their social media strategy, especially for businesses that would like to reach out to the younger audience in Malaysia. Digital Business Lab had previously shared an insightful and detailed article on the available TikTok Ad formats.

Here are also some key statistics that are good to know about TikTok in Malaysia:

As of 2021, TikTok is the top mobile app ranked by the total number of downloads in Malaysia.

Among the 4 million TikTok users in Malaysia, the majority are under 30, while 41% are between 16-24.

54% of TikTok Malaysia's users are female, and 45.8% are male.

In 2020, the local trending hashtags being used and viewed are:

#RamadanMubarak (1.4B Views)

#HeadDanceChallenge (1B Views)

#Raya2020 (344.5M Views)

#JingJitChallenge (184.7M Views)

#KesanaKesini (160.2M Views).

Top interest categories of TikTok users in Malaysia:
💡Takeaways: Although TikTok is not the most popular social media platform as of right now, the app is seeing a lot of traction and interest by Gen Zs and young millennials. Just think of Facebook 8-9 years ago. There are many opportunities for brands to go viral on this platform, leveraging influencers and hashtag challenges!
Social Commerce

Malaysia is one of the world's top markets for social commerce adoption, given its social media penetration rate of 69%, with a high likelihood of social media users converting into paying customers.

Due to the country's large population of nearly 32 million people, approximately half of whom are digitally savvy consumers aged 18 to 54, with an internet penetration rate of 83%, about 26 million are active social media users, and the country finds it such a favorable situation. Above all, e-commerce adoption is high, with more than 80% of people shopping online by 2020. (Data Portal 2021).

Besides, unlike many other markets, sales and promotional posts are more effective and welcome by the audience in Malaysia. Malaysians love a good deal throughout the year, especially during festive and holiday seasons, and brands should leverage this fundamental fact. Here are some additional e-commerce facts that are good to know:

92% of Malaysians searched online for a product or service to buy.

83% purchased a product online.

Fashion & Beauty and Food & Personal Care categories see the highest growth in online purchases in 2020 from 2019. (44% and 38% respectively)

The neighboring countries also saw Food & Personal Care within the top two highest growth in 2020. (ID: 61%, SG: 37%)

More than 8 in 10 Malaysians use social media for products and service recommendations and reviews.

Around 7 out of 10 people believe that they buy things online after seeing them on social media.

Source: Click Insights 2020
💡Takeaways: In conclusion, with this group of avid online shoppers, an effective social media strategy is essential for brands that want to significantly increase brand credibility and drive conversions in the Malaysian market. Brands should consider incorporating UGC and sales-focused content into their content strategy to pique the interest of the Malaysian consumer.
Explore part 1 of this series:

Explore our other Market Researches in Asia

🇹🇭 Thailand Social Media Insights:

🇸🇬 Singapore Social Media Insights:

🇻🇳 Vietnam Social Media Insights:

🇮🇩 Indonesia Social Media Insights:

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② Social Media Penetration in Malaysia [Research]

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Known for its beaches, diving, rainforest, and mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultural influences, Malaysia is rapidly developing its digital and mobile connectivity. This insight article focuses on the key facts about social media penetration and usage in Malaysia that are essential for brands to understand when trying to market to the audience in Malaysia.

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MUHAMMAD IZZ ARIFFIN BIN MOHAMED FADZIL
2021488758

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How millions use YouTube tutorials to perfect their trade | YouTube | The Guardian

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From bike mechanics to bakers, millions are using the video-sharing site to perfect their trade

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MUHAMMAD ADIB BIN HAMID
2021488826

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MUHAMMAD ASNAWI BIN SULAIMAN
2021864884

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AHMAD AIMAN BIN AZRI
2021480372

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PETALING JAYA: Jen Tan Sri Affendi Buang (pic) has rubbished a viral voice message on WhatsApp claiming that the Armed Forces will resort to hitting anyone who breaks the movement control order (MCO), saying that it is fake.

The Armed Forces chief said the armed forces will not resort to violence as it collaborates with police to enforce the MCO, which is aimed at stopping the spread of Covid-19.

"Please stop spreading such messages because it can cause panic among the people.

"Anyone caught spreading fake news can be charged under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998," he said.

Section 233 of the Act has to do with improper use of network facilities and those convicted can be fined up to RM50,000 or face up to a year in jail or both.

Offenders may also be liable to a further fine of RM1,000 for every day the offence is continued upon conviction.

Jen Affendi said people should not be frightened to see the Armed Forces helping enforce MCO as it is the military's secondary duty during peacetime.

Instead, he said Malaysians should cooperate and follow the rules and regulations of the MCO.

The military will be deployed to help enforce the MCO starting Sunday (March 22).

Join our Telegram channel to get our Evening Alerts and breaking news highlights

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Armed Forces chief rubbishes viral claims soldiers will use force on anyone defying MCO

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PETALING JAYA: Jen Tan Sri Affendi Buang (pic) has rubbished a viral voice message on WhatsApp claiming that the Armed Forces will resort to hitting anyone who breaks the movement control order (MCO), saying that it is fake.

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Have you ever stumbled upon a video on YouTube late at night that creeped you out, or made you wonder "how did I end up here?"

This phenomenon is called "the dark side of YouTube" or "the weird side of YouTube," as proclaimed by many of its users, and it has been present since the very beginning. I often find myself in this weird wormhole of YouTube, and this is where I discover most of my content for Dark History .

Viewers would think that, because of YouT ube's strict " no violence" policy, they would never see certain things on YouTube; instead, these more controversial videos would appear on LiveLeaks, a British website that ''aims to take reality footage, politics, war, and other world events and combine them with the power of citizen journalism."

However, if you stumble down the wormhole, you might be surprised by what you might find. It may come as no surprise when I tell you I've seen such things, as my hobby is talking about the darkest moments of human history.

Some videos on YouTube are dark and disturbing, showing real crimes and uncensored material. There is one specific channel that posts one minute-thirty second videos of true crimes. Viewers can witness the stories reported on the news as they occurred from the cameras of eye-witnesses. These videos are unedited and uploaded to YouTube for all to watch.

Despite the fact that some of these videos are blatantly against policy, most of these videos have been up for more than five months. Even though there is a warning at the start of each video, viewers cannot be prepared for what is to come. This is real life caught on camera.

The problem is, if not already clear, Youtube is full of young viewers who are very curious. I can recall a YouTuber named 'Lisbug', who usually makes basic videos you would see on any YouTube channel, made a video about "crazy stalkers." One of the stalkers is the aforementioned mentally unstable stalker. If young viewers gets curious and rebellious to the warnings, and decides to look up topic on Youtube to learn more, they will find material that could be scarring. Even with the age restriction policy, kids nowadays have grown up with technology, and many know how to avoid these restrictions.

But, how does this YouTuber get away with posting these videos? It's really a fine line, but these videos cannot be rightfully taken down. The only instance in which these videos would be taken down is if family members of those depicted file a formal complaint. But, in corporate Youtube's world, the videos are rightfully posted because it is considered a documentative video with "enough information to help people understand what's going on in the video." YouTubers cannot not make money off these videos, however. They do make money off of their videos that are purely in the realm of journalism, though.

These videos' presence on YouTube is completely contradictory to the site's "no violence" policy that states, " Violent or gory content intended to shock or disgust viewers, or content encouraging others to commit violent acts are not allowed on YouTube. If you believe anyone is in imminent danger, you should reach out to your local law enforcement agency to report the situation immediately."

From a journalist's standpoint, I see what Youtube is trying to do. It's trying to let news be spread, the same way as I do in my podcasts; however, it is completely different when the story is breaking guidelines. This is also not a matter of the first amendment as Youtube is not a government-funded website. They have their own policies that you agree to when you create an account.

Ultimately, these videos should either be taken down for the sake of younger audiences, or there should be a heavy age restriction on these videos. The age restriction may be nearly impossible to enforce, but something needs to be done to protect .

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Have you ever stumbled upon a video on YouTube late at night that creeped you out, or made you wonder "how did I end up here?" This phenomenon is called "the dark side of YouTube" or "the weird side of YouTube," as proclaimed by many of its users, and it has been present since the...