Social Media

Why Do Two-Thirds of Online U.S. Adults Use Social Media?

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It is all about the friends – current and those back in the day.

The most common reason U.S. adults use social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is to stay in touch with friends and family members, a new study reveals. A Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project study released Tuesday examines why 66% of online U.S. adults use social media.

“Some social networkers view these sites as venues for making new friends and connections,” says the study‘s lead researcher, Aaron Smith. “But for the majority, social networking sites are most important as a way to share and communicate with friends and family who are already key social ties. Activities such as meeting potential dating partners or interacting with public figures are much less relevant than deepening bonds with those who are already important.”

Of those surveyed, 67% say connecting with friends was a “major reason” they use social media; 64% say connecting with family was also a “major reason.” Half of the social media users say connecting with people they’ve lost touch with is a “major reason” for their use.

Older users (ages 50 to 64) are more likely than younger users (ages 18 to 29) to use social media to find others with similar interests or hobbies. Eighteen percent of the older group, compared to 10% of the younger group, use social for that reason.

I would say Facebook is REALLY about friends and family, whereas Twitter is for more business and political interaction. LinkedIn is the grown up social media site and it is all about business networking.

There is a little something for everyone.

Google Plus – well add another in the mix. Stay tuned for how that matures….

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Facebook

MORE Facebook Friends Linked to BIGGER Brain Areas?

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No, seriously, I am not making this up.

The answer is YES.

Scientists have found a direct link between the number of “friends” a person has on Facebook and the size of certain brain regions, raising the possibility that using online social networks might change our brains.

The four brain areas involved are known to play a role in memory, emotional responses and social interactions.

So far, however, it is not possible to say whether having more Facebook connections makes particular parts of the brain larger or whether some people are simply pre-disposed, or “hard-wired,” to have more friends.

“The exciting question now is whether these structures change over time — this will help us answer the question of whether the Internet is changing our brains,” said Ryota Kanai of University College London (UCL), one of the researchers involved in the study.

The internet and social media are changing human’s brains.

What a happy thought of the day??

So, go and get some more Facebook friends, folks…..

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