Social media usage figures published
The number of teenagers and young adults logging onto social media has continued to rise in the past 12 months, according to the findings of a new demographic study.
Figures from market research specialist comScore indicate there were 6.82 million unique UK visits to major networking websites from 15-24 year olds in June 2009, up 14 per cent year on year.
Facebook led the field with a total of 5.81 million hits from this age group, which represents an annual rise of 51 per cent.
Meanwhile, usage of MySpace sites fell 25 per cent to 1.82 million visits and Bebo dropped 27 per cent to 2.79 million.
Surprise drop in time spent on social media
However, some marketers may be surprised to learn the overall amount of time that youths spent on social media actually shrank.
Although Facebook registered a 59 per cent year-on-year hike in minutes spent online, the combined figure across all networking sites dropped nine per cent.
Mike Read, senior vice president and managing director of comScore Europe, suggested youths are streamlining their browsing habits.
“Younger users are beginning to consolidate around Facebook and are spending less time on competing sites,” he said.
“As people’s digital media lives become increasingly fragmented, users are craving the simplicity of fewer platforms – and the dominant social networking platform right now appears to be Facebook.”
In related news, Facebook recently confirmed that it was testing a new simplified fast-loading version of its website.
The Californian technology giant has trialled the application in India and elsewhere as it bids to increase uptake in developing countries with slower internet connections.
However, Facebook Lite has been viewed by many industry commentators as a rival to micro-blogging tool Twitter.
