A new survey from Pew Research Center’s Internet Project shows that people are expanding their use of social media to more than just one platform, but Facebook still leads the way.
Some 73% of online adults now use a social networking site of some kind.1 Facebook is the dominant social networking platform in the number of users, but a striking number of users are now diversifying onto other platforms. Some 42% of online adults now use multiple social networking sites. In addition, Instagram users are nearly as likely as Facebook users to check in to the site on a daily basis. These are among the key findings on social networking site usage and adoption from a new survey from the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project.
While some of the other key social media platforms seem to have developed more specific audiences – Pinterest, for example, is far more popular among women – Facebook appears to have a relatively broad audience in comparison.
Facebook’s engagement level is also higher than other platforms: “63% of Facebook users visit the site at least once a day, with 40% doing so multiple times throughout the day.” 46% of Twitter’s users check in daily, with 29% visiting Twitter multiple times a day. (You’ll see that Twitter also has a much smaller user base than Facebook).
Another notable detail is that Facebook is seeing growth in the older demographic. The Pew Internet survey notes that “Some 45% of internet users age 65 or older now use Facebook, up from 35% who did so in late 2012.” By contrast, the 18-29 year old demographic has decreased slightly to 84%, down 2% from 2012.
The survey includes only the five key social media sites featured above.
Pew Internet has also done previous studies that looked specifically at the consumption of news on social media platforms, including on Facebook and Twitter. Facebook led the way as a social media platform for news consumers. While most don’t necessarily go to Facebook seeking out news, they typically get the news while they’re there for other reasons.
As we’ve previously noted here at Legal Insurrection, information like this can be helpful if you’re engaged in grassroots activism. It helps to understand which social media platforms people are using, along with who is using them and for what purposes.
Read the full Pew Internet report.
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