Social Networks Used By 35 Percent of U.S. Adults
By Anna Johnson on January 19th, 2009The Pew Internet & American Life Project has found that the percentage of U.S. adults with a profile on an online social network site has more than quadrupled in the past four years, increasing from 8 percent in 2005 to 35 in 2009.
According to the findings of the Pew Internet & American Life Project’s December 2008 tracking survey, adults also tend to use social networks for personal rather than professional purposes.
Most adults use MySpace or Facebook rather than, say, the more professional network, LinkedIn, and most use social networks socially rather than professionally:
Social network of choice:
- 50 percent of adult social network users have a profile on MySpace
- 22 percent have a profile on Facebook
- 6 percent have a profile on LinkedIn
Preferred uses:
- 89 percent use their online profiles to keep up with friends
- 57 percent use their profile to make plans with friends
- 49 percent use them to make new friends
