According to a recent study from Meltwater, Australians are more online than ever. These days, we spend an average of 41 hours a week on screens, which is the equivalent of a full-time job. This is well above the global average, which sits at 33 hours a week.
These insights come from Digital 2026: Australia, a new report released by Meltwater, a leader in social and consumer intelligence, and We Are Social, the socially-led creative agency. The annual report provides a comprehensive snapshot of digital behaviour in the country, analysing various trends in media consumption, social media platform use, advertising and attitudes towards emerging technologies.
Here’s the lowdown from AusBiz
According to Digital 2026: Australia, released by Meltwater and We Are Social, six in ten Australians now use social media platforms to research brands each month, almost matching those who rely on traditional search engines. This shift is a major opportunity for businesses to capture customer intent, particularly as social media and AI-driven searches shape how people find and interact with products and services.
The recent report reveals that YouTube remains Australia’s most dominant platform, reaching 80 percent of internet users and attracting an ad audience of 21 million people. Australians spend an average of 11 minutes per session on YouTube, more than on any other app, with women aged 65+ forming the largest advertising segment. YouTube ads reached 80 percent of Australia’s total internet user base, regardless of age, in October 2025.
Reddit’s user spike is also notable. Australia now ranks among the platform’s most active global markets, with usage three times higher than the world average. Reddit’s potential ad reach exceeds 23 million, and local users spend longer per visit than on Facebook or Instagram.
Getting to the crux of new digital trends
In 2025, Australians spent USD $20.7 billion on advertising, with 74 percent of this money going to online channels. Social media ads alone accounted for USD $4.73 billion, resulting in an 11 percent rise from the previous year, while influencer marketing grew 13.5 percent to USD $590 million.
Programmatic advertising, where ads are bought and placed automatically using software, remains the dominant method of online influence, making up nearly 89 percent of all digital ad spending. This puts Australia on the same level as other leading markets like Spain.
Despite the growth in online and social ads, Australians are still cautious about AI. Around 30 percent use ChatGPT each month, but only about a third feel excited about AI, one of the lowest rates in the world.
Even so, ChatGPT now drives over 85 percent of chatbot-to-website traffic, showing that AI is changing how people search for information online. Users are moving away from traditional search engines toward AI, in a phenomenon known as Generative Engine Optimisation. This is the process of optimising digital content to improve its visibility on AI platforms, moving away from traditional keyword rankings to content that Large Language Models (LLMs) can easily reference so that a particular website appears more frequently on generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini.
Meet a pro who can shed more light
Ross Candido, Vice President ANZ at Meltwater, says these findings reflect a clear change in consumer behaviour.
“As trust declines and algorithm fatigue grows, Australians are increasingly turning to content and people that feel real and credible,” he says.
Ross believes this moment calls for a major rethink across marketing and measurement.
“With LLMs reshaping search, fake content on the rise and media more fragmented than ever, businesses need to rethink not just their strategy, but how they track, measure and invest across digital.”
Suzie Shaw, CEO of We Are Social APAC, agrees that the nature of influence has fundamentally changed.
“It’s no longer confined to one platform or demographic. It’s dynamic and deeply embedded in culture. The smartest brands are connecting the dots through creators, communities and content that drive trust, relevance and results at scale.”
The report highlights increasing evidence that the future of digital marketing in Australia is about integrated strategies that build genuine engagement. Brands that succeed will be those that combine data insights with authentic storytelling and connections that resonate with their audiences.
Looking ahead in the digital age
As Australians spend more time online and increasingly rely on social media to research and purchase products, businesses face both opportunity and challenge. The Digital 2026: Australia report emphasises the need for marketers to adopt strategies that are flexible and focus on building trust and relevance.
With social media and AI redefining how people discover and interact with brands, understanding consumer behaviour has never been more critical. For companies seeking to stay ahead, the key lies in connecting with communities and creators, and adopting practices that reflect the ways Australians are really using the internet today.
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