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Facebook and Twitter are for oldies

Posted on August 01, 2009 8:32 am | Filed in Business, Communication, Marketing, Social Networks, Trends, Web

A new study from social media researchers Anderson Analytics shows how different generations are using social networks like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

socnetgenerations

If you pay attention to such metrics as have been published over the past year, it probably won’t surprise you to note that the older you are, the more likely you will be to be a Facebook or Twitter user, according to the study.

This is clearly suggested in the table of generations you see here.

The research relates to users in the USA of the social networks mentioned. Although I don’t know of any similar research for the UK, I wouldn’t be surprised if the picture here isn’t that dissimilar.

Inside Facebook has a good take on the stats:

[…] 75% of Generation Y users (15 to 29 years old) use MySpace compared to Facebook at 65%. Usage of Twitter (14%) and LinkedIn was up for this group. Respondents in the Generation X (30 to 44 years old), baby boomers (44 to 65 years old), and the WWII categories are more likely to use Facebook, followed by MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn. In other words, Facebook is becoming a popular site among the older generations – but the more telling stats here would be on growth and engagement.

So Gen Xers are the middle bulge, as it were, on Facebook and Twitter usage in particular. But the heavy users are members of the oldest generation, especially Facebook.

All of distinct interest to marketers, I would imagine.

And if you sometimes scratch your head over labels like Gen X, Y or Z, Inside Facebook helpfully notes the age demographics. This concise description list on Wikipedia will also help.

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38 Responses to “Facebook and Twitter are for oldies”

  1. barbwire2003 (barbwire2003) August 01, 2009 at 11:04 #

    Twitter Comment


    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  2. izmendoza (Israel Mendoza) August 01, 2009 at 11:27 #

    Twitter Comment


    RT @vbarriage Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com [link to post] (perhaps it has more value for us grannies ;)

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  3. travelbizgal (travelbizgal) August 01, 2009 at 11:28 #

    Twitter Comment


    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com: A new study from social media researchers Anderson Anal.. [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  4. PauloFurtado (Paulo Furtado) August 01, 2009 at 11:42 #

    Twitter Comment


    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  5. twit_new (twit_new) August 01, 2009 at 12:18 #

    Twitter Comment


    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com: If you pay attention to such metrics as have been publi.. [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  6. brayson10 (Elle) August 01, 2009 at 12:46 #

    Twitter Comment


    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com: Usage of Twitter (14%) and LinkedIn was up for this gro.. [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  7. kelly August 01, 2009 at 12:55 #

    I am a more than 20-month-old-Twitter-OLDIE who’s only been tweeting past 10 months! If Twitterers and Facebookers are OLDIES, Myspacers are ancient, no? Oh wait, there’s generation X, Y and Z… Man, I am feeling older than I really am now! heee heee

    Nice blog by the way – will explore more!

  8. taptapani (Marcel Bingley) August 01, 2009 at 13:20 #

    Twitter Comment


    RT @Milieunet RT @jangles Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  9. Lee_at395kcom (Lee Williams) August 01, 2009 at 13:41 #

    Twitter Comment


    http://www.395k.com Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  10. cecinobre79 (Cecilia) August 01, 2009 at 13:42 #

    Twitter Comment


    RT @PauloFurtado Facebook and Twitter are for oldies [link to post] — I love being an “oldie”! lol

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  11. twiteffect20 (David Porter) August 01, 2009 at 13:44 #

    Twitter Comment


    Usage of Twitter (14%) and LinkedIn was up for this group. Respondents in the Generation X (30 to 44 years old),.. [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  12. Cappy1971 (Kevin Pierson) August 01, 2009 at 13:54 #

    Twitter Comment


    RT @jangles Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  13. MyOtherEgo (Gina Cartwright) August 01, 2009 at 14:20 #

    Twitter Comment


    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com [link to post]
    (Great read)

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  14. pr_marketing (PostRank – Marketing) August 01, 2009 at 15:16 #

    Twitter Comment


    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies [link to post] #postrank #marketing

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  15. LouSagar (Lou Sagar) August 01, 2009 at 15:34 #

    Twitter Comment


    Social Network Usage rapidly trending older…and wiser! [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  16. koohooX (koohooX) August 01, 2009 at 16:40 #

    Twitter Comment


    RT @terryfry: Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  17. CeruleanVilla (CeruleanVilla) August 01, 2009 at 17:31 #

    Twitter Comment


    RT@LouSagar Social Network Usage rapidly trending older…and wiser! [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  18. CeruleanVilla (CeruleanVilla) August 01, 2009 at 17:32 #

    Twitter Comment


    RT @LouSagar Social Network Usage rapidly trending older…and wiser! [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  19. sidtweeter (Sidney Juachon) August 02, 2009 at 0:12 #

    Twitter Comment


    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com: Welcome to NevilleHobson.com – the place at the interse.. [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  20. conosco (conosco) August 02, 2009 at 16:33 #

    Twitter Comment


    #LINK Facebook and Twitter are for oldies (sag ich doch) [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  21. Einerleier (Angela von Lerber) August 02, 2009 at 16:34 #

    Twitter Comment


    bin ich doch RT @conosco #LINK Facebook and Twitter are for oldies (sag ich doch) [link to post]

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  22. Unwiderstehlich (Renauld Kahns) August 02, 2009 at 20:33 #

    Twitter Comment


    Passt: Facebook and Twitter are for oldies [link to post] (via @conosco)

    – Posted using Chat Catcher

  23. brentvw August 07, 2009 at 17:44 #

    Regardless of age group, Twitter caters to the extreme and is a niche market for sure:

    http://brentvw.blogspot.com/2009/08/twitter-is-extreme.html

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

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    [...] Facebook and Twitter are for oldies (nevillehobson.com) [...]
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    [...] NevilleHobson.com: A new study from social media researchers Anderson Analytics shows how different generations are [...]
  3. Time To Take The Training Wheels Off « Confessions Of A Traffic Lawyer - August 01, 2009

    [...] Facebook and Twitter are for oldies (nevillehobson.com) [...]
  4. Jonathan Williams - August 02, 2009

    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com http://bit.ly/ssRVi
  5. Lou Franklin - August 02, 2009

    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com http://bit.ly/5pYBO
  6. Top Science News - August 02, 2009

    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies http://t.love.com/237617895
  7. Jak Matalon - August 02, 2009

    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com http://bit.ly/ssRVi
  8. Kim ONeil - August 02, 2009

    Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com http://bit.ly/jJ9fu
  9. Alan Ralph - August 02, 2009

    RT @SocialMediaComm: Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com http://bit.ly/ssRVi Me: hopefully raising social media IQ…
  10. Great Twitter stories - August 02, 2009

    [...] Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com [...]
  11. conosco - August 02, 2009

    #LINK Facebook and Twitter are for oldies (sag ich doch) http://snipurl.com/ojguh
  12. Angela von Lerber - August 02, 2009

    bin ich doch RT @conosco #LINK Facebook and Twitter are for oldies (sag ich doch) http://snipurl.com/ojguh
  13. Jonathan Rivera - August 03, 2009

    RT @jangles Facebook and Twitter are for oldies — NevilleHobson.com http://bit.ly/ksM79
  14. Jeff Zwier - August 04, 2009

    It’s official: if you can read this, you are old. http://tinyurl.com/l4uqo4 (thx to @jangles
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