Facebook remains the dominant social network in the United States, but more and more users are diversifying to multiple platforms, according to a recent report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
Pew found that 73% of online adults now use a social network of some kind, and 42% use multiple social networks.
Among those who use only one major social network, 84% say Facebook is the platform they frequent, 8% use only LinkedIn, 4% Pinterest, and 2% Instagram or Twitter.
Below, additional key findings from the report, which was based on data from a survey of 1,801 US online adults.
Frequency of Use
- 63% of Facebook users report using the platform at least daily, with 40% logging on multiple times per day, giving it not only the highest overall percentage of users but also the most engaged.
- Instagram users visit the platform nearly as frequently as Facebook users. More than half (57%) use the app on a daily basis, and 35% do so several times per day.
- Twitter users are also frequent visitors. Nearly half (46%) of users check Twitter daily, and 29% check several times per day. However, 32% of Twitter users say they visit less than once per week.
- Pinterest and LinkedIn users tend to have more intermittent patterns of usage. Just 23% of Pinterest users and 13% of LinkedIn users visit the sites daily.
Network Trends
- 18% of online adults surveyed use Twitter, a slight increase from the 16% who did so in 2012. Adoption levels are particularly high among younger adults and African-Americans.
- 17% use Instagram, up from 13% in 2012. Instagram adoption by Internet users age 18-29 has increased from 28% in late 2012 to 37% in 2013, and adoption by African-American Internet users has increased from 23% to 34% over the same time period.
- 21% use Pinterest, up from the 15% in 2012. Women continue to dominate the site: 33% of online women are Pinterest users, compared with just 8% of men.
- 22% use LinkedIn. Usage is especially high among people with a college degree or higher, and among those with an annual household income of $75,000 or more.
- 71% of online adults now use Facebook. Usage among seniors has increased significantly in the last year: 45% of internet users age 65 or older now use Facebook, up from 35% who did so in late 2012. Women are particularly likely to use Facebook compared with men.
About the research: The report was based on data from telephone survey conducted between August 7 and September 16, 2013, of 1,801 US online adults.
