Anyone who tells you people are fleeing social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter must have a bridge to sell you. A new study from the Pew Research Center says that 72 percent of online adults use social networking sites. That's up from 67 percent in late 2012, and from 8 percent in 2005.
It's still true that younger folks are more likely to be socially inclined, but the population is growing older. Those ages 65 and up have nearly tripled on social media in the last four years alone -- from 13 to 43 percent. Nearly 90 percent of people between 18 and 29 are on social sites these days, 78 percent of 30 to 49 year olds and 60 percent of 50 to 64 year olds. The study also showed that women are more likely to be social than men; 74 percent to 70 percent.
Twitter growth is particularly on the move, having seen its online population double since November 2010 with an impressive 18 of adults; that's nearly 1 in 5 adults. For those ages 18 to 29, Twitter use is at a more prevalent 30 percent. As an aside, 6 percent of online adults are Reddit users.
The survey results were based on data from telephone interviews of 2,252 adults, age 18 and older, conducted between April 17 and May 19, 2013. The margin of error is projected to be 2.5 percentage points. There was a dip in interest in social networking sites in December 2012, but it appears folks have come back online.
