Everyone and their mother is on Facebook—literally. But has the social network reached its saturation point?
According to a recent Pew Research Center report, Pinterest and Instagram continue to attract new users while services like Facebook and Twitter plateau.
The survey found that 85 percent of adults are Internet users, and 67 percent are smartphone users—many of whom log into Pinterest and Instagram at increasing rates. In fact, the proportion of online adults who use either platform has doubled in three years: 31 percent of people use Pinterest (up from 15 percent in 2012), while 28 percent use Instagram (up from 13 percent in 2012).
And while LinkedIn saw a decline in usage since Pew began tracking social media adoption three years ago, the professional network still attracts people to its site, with 22 percent of respondents visiting daily.
Facebook remains the most popular social media site, Pew reported, with 72 percent of online adults using the service, which is especially popular among women and adults ages 18 to 29. Most use the social network daily—more so than any other platform, including Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
For the first time, meanwhile, Pew asked survey participants about mobile messaging apps. As it turns out, 36 percent of smartphone owners use programs like WhatsApp, Kik, or iMessage; 17 percent use ephemeral messaging services such as Snapchat or Wickr.
These programs are particularly popular among young adults. They also offer more private social interaction than a Facebook News Feed or Twitter timeline. Many also make it easy to stay in touch when overseas or when operating different devices.
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"The results in this report reflect the noteworthy and rapid emergence of different kinds of communications tools serving different social needs," Pew said. "These new tools add to an already complex and varied terrain of online and mobile interaction."
For more, see Get a Grip on Your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn Accounts.
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