It’s Personal: Similarities and Differences in Online Social Network Use Between Teens and Adults Amanda Lenhart The Role of Social Network Sites in the Lives of Young People @ ICA May 23, 2009 Chicago, IL

Methodology 2 RDD surveys with teens 12 to 17 and a parent or guardian Sept-Nov 2007 (n=700) Oct-Nov 2006 (n=935) Focus groups w/ youth in 2007 2 RDD surveys of adults May 2008 (n=2251) December 2008 (n=2253)

2 RDD surveys with teens 12 to 17 and a parent or guardian

Sept-Nov 2007 (n=700)

Oct-Nov 2006 (n=935)

Focus groups w/ youth in 2007

2 RDD surveys of adults

May 2008 (n=2251)

December 2008 (n=2253)

How teens communicate All teens: 95% of teens spend time with friends face to face 88% of teens talk to their friends on a landline 67% of teens talk to their friends on their cell phone 65% of teens send email to friends 61% send messages to friends through social networking sites 60% of online teens send instant messages to friends 58% of teens send text messages to friends

All teens:

95% of teens spend time with friends face to face

88% of teens talk to their friends on a landline

67% of teens talk to their friends on their cell phone

65% of teens send email to friends

61% send messages to friends through social networking sites

60% of online teens send instant messages to friends

58% of teens send text messages to friends

How teens communicate daily Everyday: 51% of teens (with cell phones) talk on their cell phones 42% of teens (who use SNS) send messages through social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook 38% of teens send text messages to each other 32% of teens talk to friends on a landline phone 29% spend time with friends in person doing social activities outside of school 26% send instant messages 16% send email

Everyday:

51% of teens (with cell phones) talk on their cell phones

42% of teens (who use SNS) send messages through social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook

38% of teens send text messages to each other

32% of teens talk to friends on a landline phone

29% spend time with friends in person doing social activities outside of school

26% send instant messages

16% send email

Teens & social networking sites 65% of online teens have a profile online Girls, particularly older girls, more likely to use SNS than boys (86% of girls 15-17 have profile online, compared to 69% of boys 15-17) Age is major factor 12 -14 year-olds; 38% have an online profile 15 -17 year-olds; 77% have an online profile Other demographic factors not significant Income Race/ethnicity

65% of online teens have a profile online

Girls, particularly older girls, more likely to use SNS than boys (86% of girls 15-17 have profile online, compared to 69% of boys 15-17)

Age is major factor

12 -14 year-olds; 38% have an online profile

15 -17 year-olds; 77% have an online profile

Other demographic factors not significant

Income

Race/ethnicity

Teens & communication within online social networks 83% of social network users have added comments to a friend’s picture 77% post messages to friend’s page or wall 71% send private messages to friends within the SNS 66% post comments on a friends blog 54% send bulletins or group messages to all their friends 54% send IMs or text messages to friends through the SNS Many communicative activities within SNS are down since 2006 84% posted messages to friend’s page or wall in 2006 82% sent private messages to friends within the SNS in 2006 76% post comments on a friends blog in 2006 61% send bulletins or group messages to all their friends 2006 (just within the margin of error) Other questions not asked in 2006

83% of social network users have added comments to a friend’s picture

77% post messages to friend’s page or wall

71% send private messages to friends within the SNS

66% post comments on a friends blog

54% send bulletins or group messages to all their friends

54% send IMs or text messages to friends through the SNS

Many communicative activities within SNS are down since 2006

84% posted messages to friend’s page or wall in 2006

82% sent private messages to friends within the SNS in 2006

76% post comments on a friends blog in 2006

61% send bulletins or group messages to all their friends 2006 (just within the margin of error)

Other questions not asked in 2006

Adults and SNS 35% of adults have a profile on a social network site Younger adults dominate: 75% of 18-24 year olds have a profile; 57% of 25-34 y-o have profile 7% of 65+ have a profile. Half of adult SNS users use MySpace 51% of adult SNS users have more than one social network profile online; and majority of those (83%) are on different sites. 10% of all adult internet users have deleted an online profile

35% of adults have a profile on a social network site

Younger adults dominate:

75% of 18-24 year olds have a profile;

57% of 25-34 y-o have profile

7% of 65+ have a profile.

Half of adult SNS users use MySpace

51% of adult SNS users have more than one social network profile online; and majority of those (83%) are on different sites.

10% of all adult internet users have deleted an online profile

Teens & Adults: Use networks for friendships Source: Adult internet user data comes from the Pew Internet & American Life Project May 2008 Tracking Survey. The n for internet users is 1,553 and the margin of error is ±3%. Teen data is from the Teen & Parent survey fielded in Oct-December 2006. Margin of error is ± 4% for online teens. *This question was posed slightly differently to teens: “Do you ever use [social networking] sites to stay in touch with friends you see a lot?” There was also a complementary question asked of teens: “Do you ever use those sites to stay in touch with friends you rarely see in person” and 82% of teens who use social networks responded yes. 17 20 Flirt n/a 28 Promote yourself or your work n/a 28 Make new business or professional contacts n/a 43 Organize with others for an event, issue or cause 49 49 Make new friends 72 57 Make plans with friends 91% 89% Stay in touch with friends* Teens Adults Do you use your online profile to…? Adults & teens use online networks to say in touch with pre-existing friends

Teens say harder to find them online Source: Adult data comes from the Pew Internet & American Life Project May 2008 Tracking Survey. n=328 social network users and the margin of error for those users is ±6%. Teen data is from the Teen & Parent survey fielded in Oct-December 2006. Margin of error is ± 4% for online teens. 36 20 Very difficult for someone to find me 40 33 Someone would have to work at it, but eventually they would find me 23% 43% Pretty easy to find me Teens Adults How easy would it be to find out who you are from your social network profile? Many adults believe they are “findable”

Final thoughts Teens still using SNS frequently, but use of some internal communication tools has declined slightly Adults and teens both use social network sites predominately to stay in touch with people they already know and maintain personal relationships Adults may be less privacy conscious than teens. Or more in touch with online realities? Limitations: Teen data for privacy questions is from 2006 – hard to compare to adult 2008 data since SNS environment is so different now

Teens still using SNS frequently, but use of some internal communication tools has declined slightly

Adults and teens both use social network sites predominately to stay in touch with people they already know and maintain personal relationships

Adults may be less privacy conscious than teens. Or more in touch with online realities?

Limitations: Teen data for privacy questions is from 2006 – hard to compare to adult 2008 data since SNS environment is so different now

Thank You! Reports: Adults & Social Networks and Teens, Games and Civics Amanda Lenhart [email_address] http://www.pewinternet.org