New York Named the Most Social Media-Addicted State in the US

We may have finally found something New Yorkers can agree on: apparently, we all need to put our phones down.

A new study has named New York the most social media-addicted state in America, beating out every other state when it comes to our apparent obsession with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and the rest of the internet rabbit hole.

So if you've ever opened your phone to check one notification and somehow found yourself still scrolling 45 minutes later... you (and I) are in very good company.

New York Is America's Most Social Media-Addicted State

The study comes from Winder Law Firm, which analyzed Google Keyword Planner data from across the country.

Researchers looked at how often people searched for terms connected to major social media platforms, including searches like "Facebook login" and "TikTok desktop." They then adjusted those numbers based on each state's population.

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New York came out on top with 157,537 social media-related searches per month for every 100,000 residents. That's about 16% higher than the national average of 135,356.

Altogether, New Yorkers generate roughly 30.8 million social media-related Google searches every month. And that's just the searches. It doesn't include the approximately 900 times you opened Instagram today without even realizing you were doing it.

Which Social Media Platforms Do New Yorkers Use Most?

According to the study, YouTube generated the most search interest in New York, followed by Facebook, Instagram, X and Reddit.

The five most popular platforms based on New York search interest were:

1. YouTube
2. Facebook
3. Instagram
4. X
5. Reddit

The rankings were fairly similar nationwide, although Instagram and X switched places in the national results.

Interestingly, TikTok didn't crack New York's top five based on this particular measurement. Keep in mind, however, that the study measured Google searches related to social media platforms, not the amount of time people actually spend scrolling through each app.

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So this doesn't necessarily mean New Yorkers spend more time on social media than everyone else. It means we're searching for social media-related terms at a higher per-capita rate.

The 10 States Most Addicted to Social Media

New York didn't exactly run away with the title.

Virginia came in a very close second with 156,340 monthly searches per 100,000 residents, followed by Washington.

The study's Top 10 were:

1. New York - 157,537
2. Virginia - 156,340
3. Washington - 153,725
4. North Carolina - 153,583
5. Georgia - 153,418
6. Massachusetts - 152,178
7. Texas - 151,961
8. Oregon - 147,383
9. Illinois - 146,896
10. Pennsylvania - 145,650

Meanwhile, Vermont, Wyoming and Alaska landed at the bottom of the rankings.

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Maybe they're actually outside touching grass.