Adult use of social networking sites has more than quadrupled in the past four years – from 8% in 2005 to 35% now – according to a report by Pew Internet.

Highlights of the research report:

• While media coverage and policy attention focus heavily on how children and young adults use social network sites, adults still make up the bulk of the users of these websites.
• Younger online adults are much more likely than their older counterparts to use social networks, with 75% of adults 18-24 using these networks, compared to just 7% of adults 65 and older. 
• Overall, personal use of social networks seems to be more prevalent than professional use of networks, both in the orientation of the networks that adults choose to use as well as the reasons they give for using the applications.
• Most adults, like teens, are using online social networks to connect with people they already know.

The rise of social networking is likely to act as a driver to increase the consumption of Internet media at the expense of traditional media:

• Social networking sites compete with offline media for your time and attention;
• Social networking sites help you get news and information from a trusted group of people; and
• Social networking sites are redefining “the media” as “us”, instead of “them”.