Pew Internet & American Life Project researcher Amanda Lenhart reports in Adults and Social Network Websites that the number of adult Internet users who have taken up social networking has more than quadrupled since 2005. (Chart from USA Today.) This isn’t surprising if you consider the way conversations have moved toward social media as a marketing tool in lieu of a mere social connection with friends. Networks have properties that defy traditional linear ways of thinking about market reach and targeting users, so growth should follow exponentially.
In October, another Pew researcher reported on how the Internet and cell phones have become central components of family life. It’s not possible to have digital connectivity central to family life without adults engaging in digital networks.
We can think about media devices as a progression, using a lifespan approach to technology adoption. First you crawl, then you walk….Cell phones may not be the first thing that comes to mind in a social network, but they are essentially social networking devices. Once someone starts using a handheld device for connections beyond making and receiving calls, it’s a much shorter step to Twitter. I’m curious about the motivation for change and how most adults experience the progression. How people conceptualize and rationalize their adoption of technology would tell us a lot about the next round of integration and how we can provide effective technology applications to users.
Dr. Pamela Rutledge is available to reporters for comments on the psychological and social impact of media and technology on individuals, society, organizations and brands.
I just had my first workshop today. In my feedback survey I asked if they were involved with social networking or blogs and all commented yes.
Their ages ranged from 28-65. They all commented that they would be interested in joining a social network to stay in contact with each other.
they did express a concern with losing face to face contact with women. With all of our committments I have found social networking a way to easily supplement otherwise lost contact.
My experience is that my social networking has allowed me expand my horizons and connect with people I would never had with it.
Of course balance is key.
It’s interesting that I am reading this today, I have been pondering all the networking avenues over the last few days. Although we spend money on advertising, we have relied more on networking to get the word out about our sites and products. The hours are endless and thus far non profitable. Formerly I had a job where all forms of connectivity were required for me to be effective and found if necessary. But, when I came “home” to “work” several years ago, I not only gave up my cell phone, we turned off our regular phone for a year, just to sever many peoples need to contact me rather than their new leader. This was drastic, but it taught me that I did not have many “real” relationships. Over the last 5 years, I have promoted that we as friends actually see one another and spend time doing real tasks as a community. I do not desire a cell phone EVER again, but it is inevitable. I would like to know if social networking is making us more or less healthy has people in those and other relationships, keep me posted!
I was just discussing Twitter v. MySpace with friends last night – the younger networkers seem to like the antics at MySpace whereas the older surfers like the mini business/network/connection of Twitter.
It was funny – just this last Sunday the ABC show Brothers and Sisters was talking about Twitter and social networking – wow, the Twitter PR peeps must be working overtime, lol.