On average, during the holiday season, a smartphone user will capture 69 visuals, including photographs and videos, and share over a third of them on social media platforms. A survey conducted with 2,000 adult smartphone owners who are active on social media showed that they usually share pictures and videos of a night out with friends, a walk in winter, or Christmas markets.

The participants shared that they start posting their Christmas-related content on social media from November 9 onwards. Pictures of their Christmas tree, holiday dinner, and Elf on the Shelf decoration were among the most popular ones. They expressed that 36% of people believe that the ideal time to start posting holiday-themed material is December 1.

Furthermore, the survey, conducted by the mobile network provider giffgaff, revealed that residents of Sunderland were the most active when it came to capturing, posting, and sharing visuals over the Christmas season. Coventry, Liverpool, Brighton and Hove, Bournemouth, and Poole followed Sunderland in the ranking. Meanwhile, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Southampton, and Portsmouth's residents were the least active on their phones.

However, not everyone is on the same page regarding the start of Christmas celebrations. 62% of respondents from Manchester believe the Christmas festive mood kicks in too early, while 30% of Leeds inhabitants believe the opposite. The top platform to share visuals was Facebook 53%, followed by Instagram stories 42%, and 28% prefer an Instagram grid post.

The study also found that 52% of respondents believe there's no limit when it comes to sharing Christmas posts. Moreover, 77% think that they preserve their most cherished holiday memories on their phones, with 75% capturing more special moments due to the availability of social media and smartphones.

Ash Schofield, the CEO of giffgaff, spoke on the issue and stated that the holiday season is a time for connecting with friends and loved ones. He mentioned that smartphones play an integral part in people's lives, particularly when it comes to preserving those essential festive memories for years.

Schofield also listed the top things adults enjoy posting on social media during the festive season and provided a ranking of cities most active on their phones during this time.