Social circles evolve on social media

February 19, 2013 at 9:18PM
(FILES) - Picture taken on July 7, 2009 in Paris, shows the front page of the Facebook website. The German government warned job-seekers on August 18, 2009 to avoid posting potentially compromising pictures or remarks on social networking sites such as Facebook, citing a study about their use by employers. AFP PHOTO LOIC VENANCE
(FILES) - Picture taken on July 7, 2009 in Paris, shows the front page of the Facebook website. The German government warned job-seekers on August 18, 2009 to avoid posting potentially compromising pictures or remarks on social networking sites such as Facebook, citing a study about their use by employers. AFP PHOTO LOIC VENANCE (Dml - Getty/afp - Afp/getty Images/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Pa is on Facebook, Ma on Pinterest and the kids are running all over the digital world.

As social media continue to grow and evolve, they're appealing to an increasingly diverse group of users by age, geography and race and ethnicity.

"Each platform has its own character and its own demographic tribe, though young adults are across-the-board the most likely to be using each of them," said Lee Rainie, director of Pew Internet.

Here's a snapshot of who socializes where, according to a new report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project:

Facebook

Facebook still dominates, attracting two-thirds of all Internet users.

While it's considered standard for young adults, Facebook also reaches across generations more than any other network, even drawing 35 percent of Internet users over age 65.

Twitter

Twitter, most popular among ages 18 to 29, stands out for its racial and ethnic diversity.

The mobile — and more accessible — nature of the network, plus avid use by athletes and pop culture figures of color, are among the reasons Twitter is more popular among blacks and Hispanics than whites.

Instagram

Mobile photo sharing network Instagram, owned by Facebook, also attracts a crowd similar in diversity to Twitter.

Some of the popularity among people of color could come from the fact that "like groups do have a tendency to find one another online," said Shayla Thiel-Stern, a professor at the University of Minnesota.

Pinterest

The network that lets people "pin" online images is a favorite with women. Accordingly, it also skews more suburban and rural than other social networks, which draw more urban users. □

about the writer

about the writer

Katie Humphrey

Regional Team Leader

Katie Humphrey edits the Regional Team, which includes reporters who cover life, local government and education in the Twin Cities suburbs.

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