Demography is Destiny? Women Using Social Media More Than Men

Businesses, government and not for profits are all trying to figure out to figure out who uses social media, how much and for what purposes.

The data are frequently fragmentary and sometimes contradictory, which is why advertisers are still proceeding cautiously in making budget allocation decisions between new and old media.

But some trends are emerging. Education level is one, as attainment level - the higher the education level, the more socially engaged online - is a clear determinant of use and commitment. The other big one is gender: women are using social media more than men and that trend appears to be holding.

The reasons are not yet fully understood, but one clue may be that survey respondents report they use social media primarily to stay in touch with family and friends. In many cultures women have traditionally assumed the responsibility for maintaining those links so are extending that role online. However, it may also be that women have been quicker to recognize the value - and take advantage - of new media that allow them to circumvent historical obstacles. JL

Alissa Skelton reports in Mashable:

More than 66% of adults are connected to one or more social media platforms, but who exactly are these people?

Online MBA breaks down the demographics, including education level, income, age and gender of social media users, along with other miscellaneous facts. Social media sites are seeing a gender split — women use social media more than men. More women are on Facebook and Twitter. About 57% of Facebook and 59% of Twitter users are women.
Some sites’ users are more demographically alike than others. One thing is the same for most social sites — college students, or those who have completed some college, represent the majority on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Digg and Reddit. Among Facebook users, 57% have completed some college, and 24% have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree. Although, people 45 and older make up 46% of Facebook users

Women gravitate toward Pinterest and young, techie men hang out on Google+. Pinterest has the heaviest gender imbalance — 82% of users are women, who pin crafts, gift ideas, hobbies, interior design and fashion. On the other spectrum, Google+ is dominated by men (71%) and early adopters, engineers and developers. About 50% of Google+ users are 24 or younger.

LinkedIn reports an even ratio of men and women — 49% over age 45 — who use the site to connect with other business professionals.

Most people use social media to stay in touch with friends and family, and more are doing so while on the go. About 200 million Facebook users check their Timelines from their mobile devices every day.