Pew Finds Americans Use Social To 'Touch' Friends, Family
More than half of all U.S. adults now use social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, and a new report by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project finds that users value these sites primarily as tools to stay in touch with friends and family members.
More than six in ten users cite staying in touch with family members and connecting with current friends as a “major reason” why they use online social networks. Re-connecting with old friends and acquaintances also plays a significant role, as half of social media users say that connecting with people they’ve lost touch with is a major reason behind their use of these sites.
These findings are from a survey conducted from April 26-May 22 among 2,277 adults ages 18 and over, including surveys in English and Spanish and on both landline and cell phones. The margin of error for social networking site users is plus or minus 3 percentage points and the full report is available for immediate release at http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Why-Americans-Use-Social-Media.aspx.
Other key findings of this survey include:
· Connecting with public figures online is particularly popular among Twitter users. One in ten Twitter users (11%) say that reading comments by public figures such as celebrities or politicians is a major reason why they use social media, and 30% say it is a minor reason. Just 4% of non-Twitter users point to these connections as a major reason for their social media usage.
· Older users are more likely to view social networking sites as a way to connect around a hobby or interest. One in five social network users ages 50-64 (18%) cite connecting with others around common hobbies or interests is a major reason they use social networking sites, compared with one in ten users ages 18-29 (10%).
· Few social media users are there to seek romance. Just 3% of users say that finding potential romantic or dating partners is a “major reason” why they use these sites, and 84% say this is “not a reason at all” for their social network usage.
Recent Online Media Daily Articles
-
Yahoo To Buy Tumblr For $1.1 Billion May 19, 7:26 p.m.
The Yahoo board has agreed to acquire popular blogging site Tumblr for $1.1 billion in cash, ... -
Weather.com Develops Real-Time Data Ad Targeting May 17, 5:12 p.m.
Weather.com has begun using audience segmentation data from Lotame to develop real-time ad targeting services based ... -
MetroPCS Drops Challenge To Neutrality Rules May 17, 4:44 p.m.
T-Mobile's newly acquired MetroPCS withdrew its challenge to the Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules on ... -
'Geo-Conquesting' Drives Higher Mobile Click Rates May 17, 3:56 p.m.
The practice of conquesting -- running advertising for a brand or product near editorial content about ... -
Cox-Backed, Skyword Raises $6.7 Million To Enhance Content Creation May 17, 3:34 p.m.
Internet services and utilities will rely more on content as the industry matures. Shereta Williams, vice ... -
Ford, Jeep, Chevy Top Digital Auto Brands May 17, 1:09 p.m.
On the digital proving track, Detroit is beating out the competition. Ford, Jeep and Chevrolet were ... -
Choosing Sides: VivaKi Backs comScore; ABC Throws In With Nielsen May 17, 9:52 a.m.
In a battle to control the future of the ad industry’s currency, Nielsen and comScore each ... -
Yahoo Adds Tweets To News Feed May 16, 6:18 p.m.
Yahoo will incorporate selected tweets into the news feed on its redesigned home page through a ... -
Mozilla Puts Cookie-Blocking On Hold May 16, 6:16 p.m.
Mozilla is putting the brakes on plans to block third-party cookies by default in the upcoming ... -
Mobile Ad Results In Line With Rich Media May 16, 5:39 p.m.
Mobile display ads perform roughly on par with rich media ads in terms of click-through and ...
Be the first to comment on "Pew Finds Americans Use Social To 'Touch' Friends, Family"
Leave a Comment