According to the latest data from Pew Research, almost two-thirds of American adults now use social networking sites, up from a mere 7% when Pew Research started tracking social media usage back in 2005.
And while those user numbers have levelled off somewhat since 2013, the numbers are still rising, highlighting the increasingly influential role social is playing in our wider communicative and interactive landscape. Importantly, Pew has also clarified that these figures represent usage amongst all U.S. adults, not just internet users, which many reports use as the benchmark. Currently, Pew notes, 15% of Americans remain offline, a figure which plays an important role in the wider context of the data.
Pew's new report looks at social media user trends amongst various demographic groups, identifying the points of growth underlying the rise in social media usage amongst U.S. users - here are some of the highlights.
Not Just for Kids
While young users remain the most active on social media - with a full 90% of those aged 18-29 utilizing social platforms - it's older users that have seen the most significant take-up in recent times.
Pew's numbers show that usage amongst people age 65 and older has more than tripled since 2010, and has increased from just 2% in 2005 to 35% today. Such a shift is indicative of the rising influence and importance of social networks and they wider role they play in the community - while usage rates amongst younger demographics close in on critical mass, where, inevitably, those growth rates must slow, it's older users that are largely indicative of where the trend is headed and why social has become so important.
Interestingly, usage in the 50-64 bracket has actually dropped one point in the latest data - not a significant dip, but the only category which saw a drop (though the 18-29 bracket also saw a drop in 2013-14, and has increased again in the latest round). While such variances are worth noting, it's also important to consider the habits of younger generations, and to see how those usage rates resonate through older groups over time.
Gender Balance
Pew's research also indicates that women are more likely to use social networks than men, though the rates of difference remain relatively close.
Pew notes that:
"Women were more likely than men to use social networking sites for a number of years, although since 2014 these differences have been modest. "
Though the data suggests that the current 6 point gap is only slightly lower that the peak levels of separation in 2010 and 2012. While this number has fluctuated, the figures do show that there's no significant gender imbalance in social media usage - and those usage rates, of course, will vary by platform. Pinterest, for example, skews significantly towards female users.
An Educated Guess
Pew's research also shows that those with lower levels of education are less likely to use social media.
While those in higher income households are also more likely to be active on social networks.
This makes sense - those with higher incomes are more likely to be better equipped with the latest tech devices, particularly in regards to mobile technology, and thus, more likely to be active online. Interesting to note, however, that social media adoption rates amongst those with a high school diploma or less have increased more than tenfold over the past decade.
Regional Differences
Pew also notes that people in rural areas remain less likely to be active on social media.
While, overall, regional social media take-up has increased at a similar rate, regional areas remain behind urban and suburban adoption.
Part of this likely relates to technological development and capacity in more remote areas, though it is interesting to see the uptick in rural use in the most recent data point.
Pew's latest report offers some interesting insights into social media usage rates and overall adoption figures amongst various demographic groups. While much of the data is as you'd expect, it's interesting to see the longer term trends, and to consider how the current rates relate to future usage and adoption, and the growing influence of social on our wider community and communications process.