Mary will discuss the Pew Internet Project’s latest research on Americans’ use of social media, including how different demographic groups use various platforms. She’ll also present findings from a recent report looking at the phenomenon of “Facebook fatigue,” and help us to understand how usage patterns might be shifting in the future.

1. The State of Social Media
Mary Madden, Senior Researcher
Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project
National Bike Summit
Washington, DC
March 5, 2013

2. Part One: The Landscape of
Social Media
Who uses what?

3. How many adults use social media?
• 67% of online adults use a social networking site, representing more than
half of the entire adult population in the U.S.
• Young people are the heaviest users of social networking sites (SNS), and
Facebook is still the dominant platform. But other sites attract a wider
variety of demographic groups.

4. SNS Users
Which groups are most likely?
• Internet users under 50
• 18-29 most likely of any demographic
cohort (83%)
• Women
• Urban more likely than rural

5. Twitter Users
• 16% of internet users
are on Twitter
this has doubled since Nov. 2010
Which groups are most likely?
• Those under 50, especially 18-29
• African-Americans are more likely
than whites
• Urban-dwellers

6. Pinterest Users
• 15% of internet users
are on Pinterest
Which groups are most likely?
• Whites
• Under 50 – but 18-29 do not stand out
• Well-educated
• Higher Income
• Women - 5x more likely than men

7. Instagram Users
• 13% of internet users are
on Instagram
Which groups are most likely?
• Women
• Those under 50, especially 18-29
• African-Americans and Hispanics more
likely than whites
• Urban-dwellers

8. Tumblr Users
• Just 6% of internet users
are on Tumblr
Which groups are most likely?
• Those 18-29 (13%)

9. Facebook Users
• Facebook remains the
most-used SNS platform –
two-thirds of online adults
are Facebook users (67%)
Which groups are most likely?
• Women
• Those under 50, especially 18-29

10. Part Two: Facebook Fatigue
Taking a break or breaking the habit

11. Coming and Going on Facebook
• Facebook fasting: 61% of current Facebook users say that at one time or
another in the past they have voluntarily taken a break from using
Facebook for a period of several weeks or more.
• Facebook dropouts: 20% of the online adults who do not currently use
Facebook say they once used the site but no longer do so.
• Future Facebook users: 8% of online adults who do not currently use
Facebook are interested in becoming Facebook users in the future.

12. Reasons for Facebook Breaks
• 61% of Facebook users have voluntarily taken a multi-week break from
the site in the past. Here’s why:

13. How important is Facebook to
you?
• 59% of Facebook users say the social networking site is about as
important to them as it was a year ago. 53% say the amount of time they
spend on Facebook is about the same as last year.
• 28% of Facebook users say the site has been less important to them than
it was a year ago. 34% of users say the amount of time they spend on
Facebook has decreased over the past year.
• 12% of Facebook users say the site has become more important to them
than it was a year ago. 13% of users say the amount of time they spend
on Facebook has increased over the past year.

14. • Women are more likely than
men to report increased
importance and time spent on
Facebook.
• 42% of Facebook users ages
18-29 and 34% of those ages
30-49 say their time spent on
Facebook has decreased over
the past year.
• Just 23% of Facebook users
over age 50 reported
decreased Facebook usage.

15. In the coming year:
3% of Facebook users say
they plan to spend more
time on the site.
27% say they plan to
spend less time on the
site.
69% plan to spend the
same amount of time on
the site.
Young people are the
most likely to say their
time spent on Facebook
will decrease.

16. Part Three: Orgs + Social Media
We’re all in this together…

17. The social media platforms that arts organizations use
Source: Pew Research Center’s
Internet & American Life Project
Arts Organizations Survey.
Conducted between May 30-July
20, 2012. N for respondents who
answered this question=1,202.

18. The number of platforms that arts orgs use
The majority of arts
organizations that use
social media maintain
profiles on at least
four different social
media sites.

19. What arts organizations do with social media

20. Where we live: Pew Internet
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/pewinternet;
@pewinternet
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pewinternet
• Tumblr: http://pewinternet.tumblr.com/
• Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/PewInternet
• Google+:
https://plus.google.com/115622082336717197010/
posts
• YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/PewResearchCenter

21. Thank you!
Email: mmadden@pewinternet.org
Twitter: mary_madden
Web: www.pewinternet.org

22. Sources
• Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Post-Election Survey, November 14-
December 09, 2012. N=1,802 internet users. Interviews were conducted in English and
Spanish and on landlines and cell phones. Margin of error is +/- 2.6 percentage points for
results based on internet users.
– Corresponding report:
“The Demographics of Social Media Users – 2012” http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Social-media-users.aspx
• Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Omnibus Survey, December 13-16,
2012. N=1,006 adults. Interviews conducted by landline and cell phone in English. The
margin of error is +/- 3.6 percentage points for the complete set of weighted data.
– Corresponding report:
“Coming and Going on Facebook” http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Coming-and-going-on-facebook.aspx
• Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project Omnibus Survey, December 13-16,
2012. N=1,006 adults. Interviews conducted by landline and cell phone in English. The
margin of error is +/- 3.6 percentage points for the complete set of weighted data.
– Corresponding report:
“Arts Organizations and Digital Technologies” http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Arts-and-technology.asp x