The Pew Research Center released findings this month about our social media behavior.
The facts and figures are telling, but more telling is the insights they reveal about our character as human beings.
Here are 7 insights into what social media usage reveal about our character.
1. FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE OUR #1 PRIORITY: The top reason we use social networks is to stay in touch with friends, family members and connect with old friends we have lost touch. Meeting new people or interacting with celebrities are much less relevant than deepening bonds with those who are already important.
2. PEOPLE OF EVERY AGE WANT TO BE INVOLVED: A common misconception about social media is older demographics don’t use it because they’re either not computer savvy or didn’t grow up with social media. Not true. In 2011, we see, for the first time, saturation among the youngest demographic while the oldest (65+) is growing at the fastest rate.
3. ENGAGEMENT IS GOOD: When asked to describe their experiences on social media, positive comments like “good,” “fun,” “interesting” and “great” dominate testimony as this tag cloud visualizes of engagement experience.
4. WOMEN ARE MORE SOCIAL THAN MEN: We known for some time women are the networkers of the species. This is confirmed across social network with the exception of LinkedIn.
5. IT’S TOUGHER TO BE A TEEN: Are people kind or unkind to one another on social networks? When this question is asked, the answer, for the most part the answer is yes but teens navigate a more uncertain social world.
6. TEENS CAN HAVE A DARK SIDE ONLINE: When teens (12-17) are asked how people behave online, the negatives outweigh the positives. A good number of the descriptors are troubling. If you’re a parent reading this, you should take away social media, like the internet in general, is a different world for teens than adults. Take the time to help your teen through it and tell them you understand what they’re going through.
7. TEENS KNOW WHAT’S RIGHT: When asked how people should behave online, the answers change and a different picture is painted. Teens, like all of us, know what the right behavior is.
Taken together, these findings show extraordinary growth of social media bringing out a primal part of our character – to look out for one another.
If you don’t know, The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan “fact tank” that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It is a charitable trust that gives away its research for free.
To learn more about some of the extraordinary work the Pew Research Center is doing, take a look at this video from Mark Schaefer, marketing/business consultant and a fellow Rutgers MBA faculty member, with Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
What do these insights into our social media behavior say to you?
