A majority of people under 30 use Snapchat while Facebook is one of two social media apps popular with users over 65, according to a new study. The wide range of social media platforms available means that, almost everyone, regardless of age or other demographics, can find an app that suits them. From familiar standards like Facebook, to more recent additions like TikTok, the decision mostly comes down to interests and how an individual prefers to express themselves.
Social media has been a big part of society for years now. In the early 2000s, MySpace was top dog, dethroning predecessor Friendster. However, its popularity dipped after it was sold in 2005. Facebook, launched in 2004 and stepped up to the plate. Since then, it has continued to grow and expand to new areas, including hardware. For example, the company is reportedly planning to launch a new smartwatch next year. Twitter hit the scene in 2006 and now boasts millions of users, including world leaders and celebrities. YouTube followed in 2007 and recently launched a potential TikTok competitor
According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, a majority of people aged 18-29 use Snapchat and Instagram, with 55-percent of respondents in that age group also using TikTok. In contrast, only 2-percent of those 65 and older reported using Snapchat. Instead, people aged 65 or older tend to gravitate toward Facebook and YouTube. According to the survey. YouTube and Reddit were the only two social media sites to show significant growth since the last survey was taken, in 2019. Back then, 73-percent of those surveyed said they used YouTube and that was up to 81-percent this time. Likewise, Reddit saw an increase from 11-percent to 18-percent over the same period.
In reality, it’s not that surprising that younger social media users are leaning toward apps like Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, due to the level of creativity that they offer. For example, all three services come with features that have proven popular for creating unique content, including filters and other effects. Meanwhile, social media services like Facebook tend to focus more on communications than expressiveness. In Facebook's case, it has continually proven to be a popular option for staying in touch with friends and family, as well as world events.
However, the survey may offer some insight into the direction social media is heading, with the future more likely to be about connecting with others through self-expression than posting simple status updates. Regardless of how services like Facebook and Snapchat do change and evolve going forwards, one element that seems unlikely to change is the power and impact social media has on its users and society in general.
Source: Pew Research Center
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/2OybKNv
0 Comments