Over half of US teens using social networks, according to Pew

More than half of internet using American 12-17 year-olds use social networking sites, according to research by the Pew Internet Project.

The BBC reports that the research involved 935 teenagers and found 55% of teenage internet users in the US had MySpace and Facebook accounts.

The study looked specifically at online behaviour around social networks. Unsurprisingly boys and girls differed in their use with most girls using networks to keep in touch with existing friends while boys used networks to find new contacts.

I know there's lies, damned lies and statistics but I'm a sucker for some good ones. The BBC has the full(ish) story.

What we need to know now is a) how are UK teens using social networks and b) can the findings be extrapolated for grown-ups?

Technorati tags: social networks; Pew Internet Project; Myspace; Facebook

Comments

[Kate Kilday]

I had noticed this difference between my friends who have a Myspace; the males 'add' anyone and everyone they find and females only 'add' their existing friends.

Another thing I have noticed is that more and more companies are creating Myspace accounts as a 'cheap and easy' alternative to a website. Although I do consider this a good option for organisations such as bars and clubs, I do not think it is appropriate for all the companies that have them.

I also think a Myspace page should not be an alternative for these companies but should be in addition to their website as they are surely limiting their audience.

[Northern Planner]

I agree that social media will become increasingly important. If this is how young people are growing used to consuming media (and they are), they are unlikely to change as they age.
While it's dangerous to apply this thinking to the grown up world, we're already seeing that brands can be intersting enough for people to pass them on, instead of relying on 'buying space'
There are too many examples to choose from (Honda, Nike, Dove spring to mind), but brands with real values that come from real people shouldn't have any need to muscle in on Myspace, their own customers will put them up on Youtube etc anyway.

[Simon]

Couldn't agree more, NP. For a more detailed and excellently argued reason why brands should invest in being useful to social networks have a look at: http://open.typepad.com/open/2006/08/the_art_of_bein.html

[Northern Planner]

Thanks, it's very useful, for a framework of things to do, but that only begins to touch on the most important bit - how to develop a brand that can be useful, relevant and involving. Much of this is what you do of course, but most of is what you're like. Neuromarketing is proving we respond to communication we don't even remember thanks to subconscious associations with images, tone and feel.
Looking forward to meeting you at the CIM event by the way