Women and people between 35 and 54 are most apt to perform social networking activities via mobile device, according to data from The Nielsen Company.
Mobile Social Networking Gender Gap
A clear gender gap exists in social networking activity on mobile devices. In December 2009, Nielsen research indicates that women were responsible for 55% of mobile social networking activity, compared to 45% performed by men.
Forty-five percent of all mobile internet users go online to post comments on social networks, with 91% of mobile internet users going online to socialize, according to a recent study from Ruder-Finn. The Ruder-Finn study also indicates a gender gap in mobile social networking. Women are much more likely than men to personally express themselves (49% vs. 35%), and entertain others (70% vs. 58%) via mobile internet.
Kids Don’t Lead Mobile Social Networking Usage
Despite the stereotype of teens spending every waking moment on a mobile device, Nielsen data suggests their parents actually spend more time performing mobile web surfing. Only 7% of mobile social networking activity was represented by 13-to-17-year-olds and only 16% by 18-to-24-year-olds in December 2009.
The leaders in mobile social networking activity are 35-to-54-year-olds, who accounted for 36% of mobile social network usage in December 2009. Close behind them were 25-to-34-year-olds, who performed 34% of the month’s mobile social networking activity. Users ages 55 and up combined for the remaining 7%.
Teens Lead Texting
Teens may be too busy using their mobile devices to send text messages to bother visiting social networking sites, according to another recent Nielsen study. By analyzing more than 40,000 monthly US mobile bills, Nielsen determined American teens sent an average of 3,146 texts a month each during Q3 2009, or an average of 10 per hour not spent asleep or in school. Their counterparts 9-12 sent an average of 1,146 monthly texts each, or four per hour not spent asleep or in school.
