Any day now, I expect that Facebook will announce that it has over 600 million active users. Heck, they may even skip that mark and announce 750 million users. Considering Facebook was just founded in February of 2004, this is an amazing rate of growth.
Online Schools recently compiled an infographic on Facebook statistics and Alex Trimpe set it to music and produced the following video:
Some of the information really jumped out at me:
While it seems like everyone we know is on Facebook, only 71.2% of Internet users in the U.S. are on Facebook. I’m still trying to figure out who the 30% of the people I know aren’t on Facebook!
Fifty-seven percent of people talk more to people online than they do in real life. OK, I think this is sad! While Facebook is fun, what are we losing when we aren’t interacting with “real” people anymore?
Forty-eight percent of young Americans get their news from Facebook. I’m not a “youngster” anymore, but I do admit that I rely more and more on Facebook for my news. However, I follow several major news outlets, local and national, so I get news posts from them. When a story interests me, I click the links and read or watch the entire story.
More than 30% of Facebook users are over the age of 35. I still have people tell me that they think that Facebook is “just for kids.” Ha!
Speaking of the kids, 48% of 18 to 34 years old check Facebook right when they wake up. At least I’m not that bad. I often go hours in the morning before logging in to Facebook. But, if I go more than a day, it seems like I’m going through withdrawal!
And finally, one in every thirteen people ON EARTH is active on Facebook. Wow.
Were you surprised about any of this information? Did you expect any of the numbers to be higher?
While Facebook’s growth has been astronomical—and I spend my time showing people how to use social media—I think it’s time for all of us to step back a bit and reconnect with the “real world.” Thoughts?
This is great; I’m part of the youth that relies on Facebook for news. All kidding aside, it is so true how I can be kept abreast of the world and other issues by just being logged in on Facebook, an amazing communication tool.
Thanks! As much as FB has grown, I think we are still hungry for human interaction, which is why we still meet at networking events, have parties and leave the house. As far as more communication on FB that face to face- I don’t think that is true. My phone rings every day for conversation, but I’ve NEVER gotten a call that said only, “Miss you” or “urgg” or “What’s my favorite color?” like I do on FB. Facebook’s “communication” is hardly communication as I would define it.. it is more fun, more poking than anything else. Our communication on FB is it’s very own kind that really only could exist on such a platform, and I love it. And yes, I’m one of those people that checks in every few hours, and always first thing in the morning.
Kris – I think of Facebook more like communication by the coffee maker or watercooler, rather than “truly getting to know someone” communications. As you get a cup of coffee, you briefly talk about what was on TV last night, a book you’re reading or a bit of interoffice gossip! It’s quick and very superficial – and in many cases, the only communication you ever have with someone. However, sometimes superficial communications do lead to something more when we find that we have something in common with someone. I think you’re 100% correct when you say that we are hungry for human interaction. Whether online or in real life, superficial only goes so far and we desire the need to communicate on a much deeper level…but we still want to know what someone across the country watched on TV last night!