How Famed Tech Analyst Mary Meeker Foresees the Future of the Internet Keep an eye on user-generated content, messaging apps and drones, according to the 20th annual Internet Trends report.
By Geoff Weiss •
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The ever-mounting number of users to join the World Wide Web may finally be starting to plateau. So says esteemed tech analyst Mary Meeker, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, in her 20th annual Internet Trends report, which she presented today at the Code Conference in California.
To be fair, Internet user growth is still solid, Meeker says, but only increased by 8 percent in 2014 compared to 10 percent in 2013. Smartphone subscriptions followed a similar trajectory, posting increases of 23 percent last year versus 27 percent the year prior.
Her report, embedded below, covers a vast array of topics, including the expected proliferation of drone usage in 2015. Meeker predicts that 4.3 million total consumer drones will be shipped in 2015, comprising a $1.7 billion market.
Related: Mary Meeker: Tablet Shipments Are Growing Faster Than PCs Ever Did
Meeker also covers the ways in which today's youth is consuming -- and increasingly creating -- content on the Web. User-generated videos are at an all-time high, thanks to platforms like Snapchat, Facebook and Twitch, she says. And the Web's most influential trendsetters are 12 to 24 year-olds, who are increasingly flocking to visually-oriented content.
Messaging also represents a pivotal opportunity going forward, with six of the top 10 global apps appearing in this category. In the future, Meeker says, messaging platforms will increasingly be used for payments, games, ride-hailing and more. Asian messaging leaders like WeChat, Line and KakaoTalk are paving the way for this evolution.
For more findings from Meeker's Internet Trends 2015 report, check it out in full below:
Related: Report: Wearable Devices Could Revolutionize the Way We Do Business
