Mike Andrew Consulting

US Youth Use SocNets

By mike, Dec 17 in blog with 0 comments

A high percentage of US youth ages 8-24 uses social networking sites, according to [pdf] a new study from Harris Interactive.

Youth Favor SocNets, Facebook

Results from “YouthPulse 2010? indicate three-quarters of 8-to-24-year-olds use a social networking site and about two-thirds (68%) spend time on a social networking site daily. Facebook is the most popular social networking site in this demographic, with 86% of 18-to-24-year-olds using Facebook and 71% of 13-to-17-year-olds doing so. More than one-quarter of 8-to-12-year-olds (28%) use Facebook, as well.

Most Youth Online 1+ Hours Per Day

Study results also show that eight in 10 8-to-12-year-olds (79%) and nine in 10 13-to-24-year-olds (88% of 13-to-17-year-olds, 90% of 18-to-24-year-olds) spend an hour or more online on a typical day.

Not surprisingly, the average number of hours spent online daily increases with age, rising from 1.9 hours among 8-to-12-year-olds to 3.5 hours among 13-to-17-year-olds, topping at 4.5 hours among 18-to-24-year-olds.

Online Music, Video Also Popular

Looking at other popular youth online activities, 70% of 13-to-17-year-olds and 18-to-24-year-olds listen to music online, while 64% of 13-to-17-year-olds and 66% of 18-to-24-year-olds watch online video.

Among 8-to-12-year-olds, 53% watch online video. However, this demographic has the largest contingent playing online games (78%, compared to 52% of 13-to-17-year-olds and 46% of 18-to-24-year-olds). Game playing is the top online activity among 8-to-12-year-olds.

Young Adults Use Cell Phones

Overall, 70% of 8-to-24-year-olds own a cell phone or smartphone, with smartphones representing 18% of this figure. During the past few years, cell and smartphone ownership has risen among tweens (26% in 2007 to 34% in 2010) and teens (65% in 2007 to 76%), but remained consistently around 90% among young adults in that timeframe.

Edison Research: Facebook Top SocNet For Youth

A substantial majority of US young adults age 12-24 use Facebook, according to a recent study from Edison Research.

“Radio’s Future II: The 2010 American Youth Study” indicates that 74% of young adults use Facebook to some degree. By frequency of use, this figure breaks down to 55% actively using Facebook and 19% occasionally using it. Of the remaining 26%, only 4% are unfamiliar with Facebook.

In comparison, only 30% of young adults use MySpace, with 12% actively using it. Much higher percentages of young adults have a MySpace account but don’t use it and have deleted a MySpace account than fit these two categories for Facebook use. Unfamiliarity is also twice as high (8%).

Twitter only has a 4% active use rate and 8% occasional use rate among young adults. However, 61% have heard of Twitter but never used it, presenting significant potential for audience growth.

About the author

Mike Andrew has been working with the Internet and small business for over 12 years. Mike has been a keynote speaker at conventions and seminars and conducted social media training sessions all over the world. Mike has an extensive media background having worked in electronic media for over 30 years. Mike specialises in social media and Internet marketing strategy, SEO techniques and search engine marketing campaigns. His articles appear on numerous blogs around the web as well as national magazines.