Thursday, December 8, 2011

Pew Internet News: Teens and social networking; the internet as a diversion; upcoming reports and presentations

New Report: Teens, kindness and cruelty on social network sites

Teens and social mediaSocial media use has become so pervasive in the lives of American teens that having a presence on a social network site is almost synonymous with being online. Fully 95% of all teens ages 12-17 are now online and 80% of those online teens are users of social media sites. Many log on daily to their social network pages and these have become spaces where much of the social activity of teen life is echoed and amplified—in both good and bad ways.

Part 1 » Teens and social networks

Part 2 » Social media and digital citizenship: What teens experience and how they behave on social network sites

Part 3 » Privacy and safety issues

Part 4 » The role of parents in digital safekeeping and advice-giving

Part 5 » Parents and online social spaces: Tech tool ownership and attitudes towards social media

Report: The internet as a diversion and destination

Americans are increasingly going online just for fun and to pass the time, particularly young adults under 30. Many of them go online in purposeful ways, as well. But the results of a survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project show that young adults’ use of the internet can at times be simply for the diversion it presents.

Report: Why Americans use social media

Two-thirds of online adults (66%) use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace or LinkedIn. These internet users say that connections with family members and friends (both new and old) are a primary consideration in their adoption of social media tools. 

Report: Half of adult cell phone owners have apps on their phones

The share of adult cell phone owners who have downloaded an app to their phone nearly doubled in the past two years – rising from 22% in September 2009 to 38% in August 2011 – according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. The share of U.S. adults who purchased a phone already equipped with apps also increased five percentage points in the past year, from 38% in May 2010 to 43% in the current survey. 
 

Pew Internet research in the news

Plugged-in Teens
Parents' Perspective, December 7
 
Teens Care about Privacy Online
NPR's On the Media, December 3

Most Adults Go Online for No Particular Reason
CNN / Mashable, December 2

Upcoming reports and presentations:

December 14 - Look for a new report about where people get information about restaurants and other local businesses.

December 13 - Presentation: Kids, Privacy and Online Drama » Amanda Lenhart, danah boyd, and Alice Marwick will discuss the ways young people interact online, how they manage their privacy, and common misconceptions of adults when it comes to cyberbullying.
 

Recent presentations:

Americans and Mobile Computing: Key Trends in Consumer Research [SLIDES]  »  Senior Research Specialist Aaron Smith spoke at the Government Mobility Forum. You can view or download his slides here.

Teens, Social Network Sites & Mobile Phones: What the research is telling us [SLIDES]  »  Senior Research Specialist Mary Madden's presentation on teens, social networking sites, and cell phones. You can view or download her slides here.

When Networked Individuals Roamed the Earth [VIDEO]  »  Director Lee Rainie spoke about the rise of "networked individuals." You can view the video here.

See all upcoming presentations »

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About us:

The Pew Internet & American Life Project is an initiative of the Pew Research Center, a nonprofit "fact tank"that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. The Pew Internet & American Life Project explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health care and civic/political life. Support for the project is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.