Social Media Used By 43 Percent of Internet Users
By Anna Johnson on June 26th, 2009Research by The Conference Board and TNS shows that social networks have essentially gone mainstream, with 43 percent of Internet users using social networking sites, including Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn.
Up from 27 percent of Internet users using social networks in 2008, the researchers’ survey of 10,000 U.S. Internet users found that more than half of social networkers log on at least once a day, with the majority logging on several times a day.
Most social network users use social networks to interact with family, friends and celebrities. Most log on at home, although 25 percent log on at work, and 10 percent connect through their phone.
The Conference Board and TNS found that people of all ages use social networks. Around 19 percent of those aged 55 and over visit these sites, up from just 6 percent a year ago. Women are somewhat more likely than men to use social networking sites (48 percent versus 38 percent), although usage has increased dramatically among both groups over the past year.
Facebook was the most popular social network, with 78 percent of online households using it, followed by MySpace (42 percent), LinkedIn (17 percent) and Twitter (10 percent).
The Conference Board and TNT have issued their findings in The Conference Board’s latest quarterly report, ‘The Consumer Internet Barometer’.
