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Announcing the achievement on Wednesday, YouTube thanked users for turning the video-sharing site into a key social media resource, with one in two internet users now visiting YouTube.
“From the aspiring filmmaker in his basement and the next great pop musician, to the fans all around the world who tune in, subscribe and share their favorite videos with the planet, thank you for making YouTube what it is today. You have truly created something special,” the company said.
Google said, based on the achievement, if YouTube was a country it would be third biggest in the world, behind only China and India, while the monthly user figure is the equivalent of ten Super Bowl audiences.
According to Google, the 18 to 34 year old population, which it defines as “Generation C”, has fuelled uptake of YouTube through its prolific smartphone use and the use of multiple devices per individual.
Citing research by Nielsen, Google revealed the amount of time that “Generation C” spends watching YouTube on smartphones has grown by 74 per cent over the last year, catching up with the amount of time spent watching YouTube on PCs.
Furthermore, the research shows 67 per cent of “Generation C” watches YouTube on two or more devices. 47 per cent state they use YouTube while waiting for someone or something, 18 per cent watch YouTube videos while commuting, and 15 per cent turn to YouTube while commercials are showing on television.
