If you’re living in regional Australia, you’re more likely than your city counterparts to be online first thing in the morning. However, regional Aussies are the second most likely to be staying up late to check their social media accounts, only topped by the Victorian average of 37 per cent.

The 2018 study, from digital expert Yellow, surveyed 1,516 Australian consumers online and found that 55% of people living in regional Australia are accessing the internet more than five times a day from a laptop or smartphone.

What platforms are they using? A staggering 94% of regional Australians use Facebook, checking their accounts 40 times a week on average, the second highest in the country, only topped by the New South Wales average of 42%. YouTube (46%), Instagram (29%), and Snapchat (21%) are the next most popular social media platforms out of our cities.

Thirty-four per cent of regional Australians use social media to show their support for topical issues with ‘it’s the easiest way to show my support’ being the most common reason given.

You’re less likely to have been bullied or harassed on social media than people in the city, but sadly there’s an upward trend in social media bullying right across the country.

How are parents and carers in regional Australia managing children and teenager’s exposure to social media? While 32% of parents say they impose no restriction on their children’s social media use, 25% restrict the times of day when social media use is allowed and 19% are more than happy to remove social media access as punishment.

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“It seems there are few places these days where social media doesn’t reach. We use it at the dinner table, we use it when commuting to work, and we use it when relaxing in the lounge or living room or bedroom. Some of us even take our social media into the toilet with us” said James Ciuffetelli, Executive General Manager Yellow.

“While there are some unpleasant sides to social media, like it being used as a means to bully or harass, it’s heartening to find out that for most Australians, social media has become a key way for people to stay in touch with family and friends and to share photos and videos that offer a snapshot into their daily lives. Like it, love it or loathe it, social media is a part of many of our daily lives.”

Queenslanders spend the longest time on Facebook – a leisurely 20 minutes per session compared to the national average of just 15, according to the 2018 Yellow Social Media Report.

Queenslanders also take their time when using LinkedIn (11 minutes) and linger the longest, along with residents of NSW, on Instagram, spending 15 minutes each session.

The 2018 study, from digital expert Yellow, surveyed 1,516 Australian consumers online and found those living in the Sunshine State enjoy Facebook the most. It is the social networking site of choice for 92% and, in a typical week, they Facebook 36 times - close to the national average of 37. They use Snapchat 33 times and Instagram 28 times a week. Twitter is used least - 13 times.

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“Queenslanders enjoy using social media with 94 per cent using it at home, most often in the lounge or dining room, where one in four do that when they’re relaxing,” said James Ciuffetelli, Executive General Manager Yellow.

“Just over half use social media in the bedroom, too, and they’re more likely to check social media while in the toilet than when they’re in the bathroom. It seems that, for some people, you can never get too much social media, wherever you happen to be.”

Almost a third (32%) of Queensland residents use social media sites more than five times a day - only 8% of people say they never use social media. On average, they have 211 Facebook friends, 115 Twitter followers and 307 Google+ contacts.

On the more serious side, 22% have witnessed someone else being bullied or harassed on social media and 13% have experienced this personally. Almost one in five (19%) posted something they later regretted.

National statistics from the 2018 Yellow Social Media Report into consumer behaviour include: