Larry Bodine Law Marketing Blog

Nearly half -- 48% -- of Americans age 12 and older are now members of at least one social network, according to a new national survey from Arbitron and Edison Research. This is about double the level from two years ago (24 percent in 2008), according to the survey titled “The Infinite Dial 2010: Digital Platforms and the Future of Radio.”

"Social networking has become a part of mainstream media behavior," said Tom Webster, VP of strategy and marketing at Edison Research.

And it's not just the kids who have personal profile pages.  Almost two-thirds of those in the 25 to 34 age group -- 65% -- and half of those 35 to 44 -- 51% -- also now have personal profile pages.

The study also shows that 30% of Americans age 12 and older who have a profile on at least one social networking Web site use those sites "several times a day," compared with only 18% one year ago.

"The use of social networking sites has expanded beyond younger consumers, with substantial numbers of Americans over the age of 35 now using social media," said Bill Rose, SVP of marketing at Arbitron.

From late January, Arbitron conducted telephone interviews with 1,753 persons to investigate Americans' use of digital platforms and new media.

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