Free report·
Where do developers go to learn, connect, and stay informed?
Exploring social media platform choices across key developer workflows
YouTube dominates the learning landscape, with 62% of developers who use social media selecting it as one of their preferred platforms for this purpose.
This report maps where developers go across five distinct use cases: learning, problem-solving, keeping up to date, engaging with community and peers, and research. Drawing on responses from around 3,000 developers who use social media to find information about software development and stay current, it describes a fragmented but structured landscape in which platform choices are strongly shaped by the task at hand as well as developer characteristics. The report traces how preferences shift with experience, role, organisation size, and geography — including the distinct ecosystems of Japan and Greater China. It is designed to offer a practical foundation for channel strategy, identifying not just where developers spend time but what they are trying to accomplish when they get there.
Key findings
- YouTube is the go-to social media platform for learning, highlighting a preference for long-form, structured video content.
- When it comes to learning, preference for LinkedIn is notably higher among those in technical leadership roles, likely serving as a source of strategic insights.
- X is particularly preferred for keeping up to date in East Asia, the Middle East & Africa, and South America. In Japan, 76% of developers prefer X as their platform to stay informed.
- Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are substantially more popular among less experienced developers for keeping up to date.
- When it comes to problem-solving, two platforms clearly lead and complement each other: YouTube and Reddit.
- The preference for Reddit for problem-solving nearly doubles from 23% among developers with less than one year of experience to 42% among the most experienced.
- Organisations seeking meaningful community engagement in China need a dedicated, localised platform strategy.
- WhatsApp is the most preferred platform among developers in the Middle East & Africa, South America, and South Asia to engage with peers.
- The top platforms preferred for research closely mirror those used for learning, suggesting that these activities often overlap within developer workflows.
Questions this report answers
Which social media platform do developers prefer for learning?
YouTube dominates the learning landscape, with 62% of developers who use social media selecting it as one of their preferred platforms, 31 percentage points ahead of the next option, Reddit (31%).
What platforms do developers use for problem-solving?
Two platforms clearly lead and complement each other: YouTube (46%) and Reddit (32%), with Discord completing the top three at 23%.
Where do developers go to engage with community and peers?
LinkedIn leads overall at 44%, followed closely by WhatsApp at 42%, while YouTube drops to ninth position at 26%.
Which platform do developers prefer to keep up to date?
YouTube leads at 45%, but it is closely followed by X (42%). In Japan, X is by far the most preferred platform for staying informed (76%).
What platforms do developers prefer for research?
YouTube again leads with 51% of developers selecting it, 15 percentage points ahead of the next option, Reddit (36%).
Who it's for
- DevRel teams planning where to invest their channel strategy
- Developer marketing and content teams targeting specific regions or segments
- Vendors building community and support presence across developer platforms