Teens and young adults are not the only ones using social networks in Canada, according to a TNS Canadian Facts study conducted between April 30 and May 5, 2007.
The study found that not only are over half of Canadian Internet users visiting such sites, but that many social networkers are middle-aged.
Over eight in 10 13-to-17-year-olds and nearly three-quarters of 18-to-29-year-olds had visited at least one social networking site.
Six in 10 people in their 30s had visited at least one social networking site, as had 45% of those in their 40s. A third of those 50 and older had been to a social networking Website.
Jennifer Bylok of TNS said, "Considering that sites like Facebook and MySpace did not even exist five years ago, the fact that over half of online Canadians claim to have visited social networking sites is staggering.
"Gone are the days of letter-writing and long phone calls. Today, people are posting and
broadcasting the minutiae of their daily lives, keeping friends and colleagues probably
more up-to-date than they would like to be."
The preponderance of young social networkers is not merely a result of fewer older Internet users, either. Statistics Canada estimates that nearly 68% of Internet users ages 18 and older are online — nearly every demographic segment has a high penetration rate.
About four in 10 online Canadians do not use social networking sites because they say they would rather keep in touch in other ways. That sentiment increases with age, as two-thirds of those 50 and older said they would rather use other methods of communication.
Other reasons given by those avoiding social networks were that users did not feel safe using them, their friends did not use them or that such sites were "stupid" and not worth taking part in.
The eMarketer Canada Online report will be published in August 2007. To be notified when it is released, click here.