Who Uses Social Media?

Here’s a tricky question: do you know who uses social media? If you answered, “I do!” you’re at least on the right track! But what I’m talking about is the demographic breakdown of who uses social media and which social media network they use the most.

Whether you’re an avid social media user or think that it’s a “waste of time because no one I know is on it,” this social media infographic created by the Pew Research Center and Docstoc is a worth a look:

A little overwhelming, isn’t it? Let’s break it down:

GenderYep, you guessed it: women are more likely to use social media than men. But that doesn’t mean that men aren’t using social media! In fact, 62% of men surveyed reported they are active social media users.

AgeWhile it’s true that the majority of 18-29 year-olds use social media the most, people in the 20-49 and 50-64 age brackets follow at a close second and third, respectively. Next time you find yourself saying “I don’t use social media because none of my friends or customers are on it!” think about these stats.

Education levelEven though Facebook was only available to college students at first, this infographic shows us that education level is not a determinant factor when it comes to social media use. Woo hoo!

Population densityWhile 70% of urban-dwellers are on social media, only 61% of people living in rural areas are using social media. The publishers of this infographic attributed this to the fact that individuals living in urban areas are more accustom to connectivity of large-city life and thus gravitate to social networks.

RaceSocial media doesn’t discriminate! This infographic shows us that Hispanics are more likely to use social media, but African-Americans and Caucasians are a close second and third, respectively.

Household incomeWhile 72% of lower-income households reported that they are active on social media, high-income households are only 6 percentage points behind them.

And the most popular social media network is…Facebook!A whopping 67% of adults are actively posting, sharing, and commenting on Facebook, and we hope you are, too! LinkedIn and Twitter follow in second and third place, but are growing in leaps and bounds every day. If you’re not on these top three social networks, what are you waiting for? Hop on the social media train before you get left in the dust!

Were you surprised by any of these social media stats? Tell us in the comments below!