Top 10 Reasons for Using Social Media
GlobalWebIndex has produced a report detailing the social networking motivations of individuals. It shows that globally, 55% of internet users use social networks in order to stay in touch with what their friends are doing. This was followed by 41% stating that they get news updates from social and 41% who use it to fill their spare time. According to GlobalWebIndex:
These top three motivations have one common characteristic – they are all related to passive forms of networking. Indeed, as we explore further in our Passive Facebooking report, many social media users are coming to view social networks as sources of content rather than platforms which require active contributions.
Equally telling is that only 27% of internet users say that they are using social media to share details about their daily life. By some margin, this motivation is less important to networkers than sharing opinions or photos/videos. Clearly, then, many internet users have become more comfortable using social media to publish content rather than to broadcast personal details.