According to a new study released by Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, nowadays 72% of online adults use social networking sites.
Although younger adults continue to be the most likely social media users, one of the more striking stories about the social networking population has been the growth among older internet users in recent years. Those ages 65 and older have roughly tripled their presence on social networking sites in the last four years—from 13% in the spring of 2009 to 43% now.
The results of this report are based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International from April 17 to May 19, 2013, among a sample of 2,252 adults, age 18 and older.
According to this research, as of May 2013, almost three quarters (72%) of online U.S. adults use social networking sites, up from 67% in late 2012. “When we first started asking about social networking sites in February 2005, just 8% of online adults said they used social networking sites”, said Pew Research Center’s officials.
The study included a separate question about Twitter and found that 18% of online adults are now Twitter users, almost double the percent of online adults who used Twitter in November 2010, the first time the research firm asked about Twitter as a stand-alone platform. This time, the study concluded that internet users ages 18-29 are the most likely to use Twitter.
“Today, social networking site use is a major activity for internet users from a wide range of demographic groups. Younger adults are especially avid adopters, but social networking continues to grow in popularity for older adults as well”, added Pew analysts. Six out of ten internet users ages 50-64 are social networking site users, as are 43% of those ages 65 and older.
Although online seniors are less likely than other age groups to use social networking sites, adoption rates for those 65 and older have tripled in the last four years (from 13% in the spring of 2009 to 43% now).
