Microblogging, Social Networking Still Growing Worldwide

Penetration levels of microblogging and social networking continue to grow worldwide, driven by increased adoption in emerging countries; but as the Web has evolved Internet users have moved toward consuming and transmitting content rather than producing it themselves, according to Wave 5 of the GlobalWebIndex by Trendstream.

Between 2009 and 2011, the number of people worldwide who publish a blog declined 4%, while the number of people writing an online news article increased slightly, up 6%. By contrast, the numbers of people using microblogs and social networks surged, up 62% and 40%, respectively, over the same period.

Much of the increased adoption of social networks worldwide has been driven by widespread use of mobile devices, according to the report.

Note: The chart (above) illustrates penetration levels across a range of online activities. For example, asked which online activities they've done in the previous month, nearly 70% of people cite watching an online video clip, 50% cite managing a social network profile and 36% say they've commented on a story; only 25% have written a blog post and even fewer people (18%) have written an article.

Below, additional findings from Wave 5 of the GlobalWebIndex, which surveyed the online behaviors of Internet users in 27 countries.

→ end article preview
Read the Full Article