SHEPHERDSTOWN – Adults are using more than one social media site, and college-age students say Instagram dominates their social media interactions, according to a Pew Research Center survey released in January.
Some 53 percent of young adults from ages 18 to 29 say they use Instagram daily, according to the January 9 survey. Among adults ages 18 and older, 52 percent say they use more than one social media site, with Facebook their primary site. Of adults who say they visit just one social media site, 79 percent say they use Facebook.
Since 2013 there has been a significant increase in adults 65 years and older using social media; 56 percent of seniors use Facebook.
For the first time, Instagram has dominated social media rankings by 53 percent in young adults ages 18 to 29. Of the 53 percent, 49 percent use Instagram daily.
Overall, Facebook is the top social media site among all adults by 58 percent. Among all American adults, Twitter is the least used social media site.
Based on the findings of Pew Research Center, Shepherd University students were randomly selected and asked a series of questions. Of the four students interviewed, one said it wasn’t surprising that 52 percent of adults use two or more social media sites, one said it was surprising and two said it was surprising because they could not imagine their own parents using more than Facebook.
“It surprises me that adults use more than Facebook. I cannot imagine my mother having a Twitter account,” said Hayley Frye, a sophomore education major. “I use social media on a constant flow. If I’m not on my laptop, Facebook is usually always pulled up.”
Out of all forms of social media, Frye said she uses Facebook and Snapchat the most. “I use social media to keep up with what’s going on,” Frye said. “It’s easier than waiting. Anything you need to know is right there. It’s easy to connect with people I don’t see on a daily basis.”
Two of the four students interviewed said they only use social media to fill their free time, and two said they use social media to stay connected to their friends, family and the news.
Emilee Pierson, a junior communications major, said roughly 80 percent of her day is spent using social media. “Depending on what I’m doing, I use social media throughout my entire day,” Pierson said. “Even when I’m at school I use social media, just not as much as I would use it on the weekend.”
Pierson said she uses Instagram the most, although she does have Facebook and Twitter. “I usually just post my Instagram pictures to Facebook, but I don’t really post statuses or anything.”
Pierson said she uses Facebook to stay connected to family members she does not see on a daily basis. “I think it’s important for our generation to have social media because I feel like that’s how anybody gets their information about anything even though most of it is probably false. I don’t watch the news, I just get on Facebook and I can see all of the news,” she said. Pierson said her mom has Facebook, but she cannot see her mom having anything else.
Shannon Lyons, a junior communications major, said she uses Instagram every day.
“I think social media gets our generation in trouble, but it’s so addicting and it fills up time when I have nothing else to do,” Lyons said. “I think parents and older adults make Facebook what it is. It is so easy for them to connect with younger people. I feel like a lot of people use Twitter over Instagram. I use social media only to take up time and that is it. I feel like people get so stuck into social media and miss things that are happening.” Lyons said she has been trying to cut down on her use of all forms of social media.
Amanda Chandler, a sophomore art major, said she uses Facebook more than any form of social media.
“I use Instagram almost daily, but I hardly post anything, I just like to see what people are doing,” Chandler said. “I use Facebook primarily to keep in touch with my coworkers and family. I do not have a Twitter although I used to, but I do have Snapchat.”
Chandler said she thinks social media is important for our generation to keep in touch, but she does think people could cut down on the use of it. “I think that it’s a problem when people are so attached to their phones that they miss important opportunities every day. It’s so time consuming, but it’s necessary,” Chandler said.
According to the Pew Research survey, Facebook is the primary social media platform of American Internet users. LinkedIn is second in the rankings of social media users, followed by Pinterest. Pinterest is dominated by female users at 42 percent. Instagram and Twitter are the lowest in the rankings. Instagram is said to be set at 21 percent, whereas Twitter is standing at 19 percent.
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