Social Media Archives

  • 15% of Americans have never checked their social networking privacy and security account settings. (National Cyber Security Alliane (NCSA)-MacAfee Online Safety Study, 2011)
  • 69% of social media-using teens think that peers are mostly kind to each other on social networking sites, however, 88% of teens have seen someone be mean or curel to another person on a social networking site. (Pew Research Center, FOSI, Cable in the Classroom, 2011)
  • 12% of teens say they witnessed cruel behavior "frequently" on social networking sites. (Pew Research Center, FOSI, Cable in the Classroom, 2011)
  • 15% of social media-using teens say they have been the target of online meanness. (Pew Research Center, FOSI, Cable in the Classroom, 2011ial
  • Social Media is now the number one activity on the web
  • 65% of social media-using teens have had an experience on a social networking site that made them feel good about themselves. (Pew Research Center, FOSI, Cable in the Classroom, 2011)
  • 58% of social media-using teens have felt closer to another person because of an experience on a social networking site. (Pew Research Center, FOSI, Cable in the Classroom, 2011)
  • 2,332 arrests for Internet sex crimes against minors involved social networking sites (Journal of Adolescent Health, 2010)
  • Cases involving social networking sites (SNS) were more likely to result in a face-to-face meeting. This was true of 81% of SNS-involved cases and true of 55% of non-SNS cases(Journal of Adolescent Health, 2010)
  • 41% of social media-using teens have experienced at least one negative outcome as a result of using a social networking site. (Pew Research Center, FOSI, Cable in the Classroom, 2011)
    • 25% have had an experience that led to a face-to-face argument or confrontation.
    • 22% have had an experience that ended their friendship with someone.
    • 13% have had an experience that caused a problem with their parents.
    • 8% have gotten into a physical fight with someone else because of something that happened on a social networking site.
    • 6% have gotten in trouble at school because of an experience on a social networking site.
  • By 2015, Mobile adult content revenues are expected to reach $2.8 billion and mobile adult subscriptions will reach $1 billion. (Juniper Research. "Videochat and Subscription services to drive mobile adult revenues to $2.8bn by 2015" October, 2010)
  • 29% of Internet sex crime relationships were initiated on a social networking site. (Journal of Adolescent Health 27, 2010)
  • In 26% of online sex crimes against minors, offenders disseminated information and/or picutres of the victim through the victim's personal social networking site. (Journal of Adolescent Health 47, 2010)
  • In half of all sex crimes against a minor involving a social networking site, the social networking site was used to initiate the relationship. (Journal of Adolescent Health 47, 2010)
  • 49% of teens believe sending and receiving sexts is very common at their age (MTV-Associated Press, 2011)
  • 65% of young adults (20-25) believed sending and receiving texts is very common at their age (MTV-Associated Press, 2011)
  • 20% of teens have sent or posted nude or seminude photographs or videos of themselves. (Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson and COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA, March 2011)
  • 25% of teenage cell phone owners use them for socilat media; 54% for text; and 24% for instant messaging. (Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson and COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA, March 2011)
  • The Average Age for a Person's first Cell Phone is now 13 (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2010)
  • 75% of teens (12-17) own their own cell phone.(Pew Internet & American Life Project.  "How Do They Even Do That?" A Pew Internet Guide to Teens, Mobile phones and Social Media. M Communications Studies, Lenhart, Amanda.  June 2010)
  • Of teen device owners 27% go online via their cell phone and 19% go online via their portable gaming device. (Ibid)
  • Percentage of teen cell phone owners who use the following functions on their device: 88% text; 83% take pictures; 64% exchange pictures; 60% play music; 54% record videos; 46% play games; 32% exchange video; 31% instant message; 27% general Internet use; 23% social networking sites; 21% email; and 11% purchase products through their mobile phone. (Ibid)
  • Percentage of teen cell phone owners who have experienced negative aspects: 54% received spam/unwanted texts; 52% talking while driving; 34% texting while driving; 26% bullied or harrassed; 15% received a sext message; 4% sent a sext. (Ibid)
  • 20% of teens media consumption occurs on mobile devices--cell phones, iPods or handheld video game players; kids spend about 49 minutes a day listening to, playing, or watching other media on their phones--they also spend about an hour and a half a day texting. (Generation M2, Media in the Lives of 8-18-year olds; Kaiser Family Foundation Study, January 2010)
  • Teens who text average approximately 118 messages in a typical day. (Ibid)
  • 66% of 8- to 18-year olds own their own cell phones; 76% of all 8-to18 yer olds have iPods or other MP3 players. (Ibid)
  • 20% of 16 year olds and 30% of 17 year olds have received a sext (a sexually implicit text) (Pew Internet & American Life Project. "Teens and sexting: How and Why Minor Teens are Sending Sexually Suggestive Nude images Via Text Messaging." A pew Internet Guide to Teens, Mobile Phones and Social Media. M Communications Studies, Lehnart Amanda, December 2009)
  • 29% of Internet sex crime relationships were initiated on a social networking site. (Journal of Adolescent Health 27, 2010)
  • In 26% of online sex crimes against minors, offenders disseminated information and/or picutres of the victim through the victim's personal social networking site. (Journal of Adolescent Health 47, 2010)
  • 33% of of all Internet-initiated sex crimes involved social networking sites. (Journal of Adolescent Health 47, 2010)
  • 26% of Americans say they are sharing more information on social networks today than one year ago. (National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA)-MacAfee Online Safety Study, 2011)
  • 24% of Americans say they are not at all confident in their ability to use privacy settings. (National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA)-MacAfee Online Safety Study, 2011)
  • In 26% of online sex crimes against minors, offenders disseminated information and/or picutres of the victim through the victim's personal social networking site. (Journal of Adolescent Health 47, 2010)
  • 33% of of all Internet-initiated sex crimes involved social networking sites. (Journal of Adolescent Health 47, 2010)
  • In half of all sex crimes against a minor involving a social networking site, the social networking site was used to initiate the relationship. (Journal of Adolescent Health 47, 2010)
  • Cases of Internet sex crimes against children involving social networking sites were more likely to result in a face-to-face meeting. This was true of 81% of Internet-initiated crimes involving a social networking site. (Journal of Adolescent Health 27, 2010)
  • 38% of Facebook users in the last year were under the age of 13. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • More than 25% of Facebook users last year were under the age of 10. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • Only 18% of parents with children under 10 on Facebook are actually "friends" with their child on the site. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • 62% of parents of teens ages 13-14 are "friends" with their child are Facebook. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • Only 10% of parents of children aged 10 and under had frank talks about appropriate online behavior and threats. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • Of the active adult users of Facebook, 66% reported they did not know privacy controls existed on Facebook and/or they did not know how to use the privacy controls. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • 85% of parents with teenage children ages 13-17 report that their child has a social networking site. (American Osteopathic Association, 2011)
  • 22% of teenagers log on to their facorite social media site more than 10 times a day. (Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson and COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA, March 2011)
  • More than 50% of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day. (Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, Kathleen Clark-Pearson and COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA, March 2011)
  • 29% of Internet sex crime relationships were initiated on a social networking site. (Journal of Adolescent Health 47, 2010)
  • 72% of teens have a social networking profile and nearly half (47%) have a public profile viewable by anyone
  • Frequently children in 4th-6th grade levels engage in social networking activities. In the process they post personal, potentially exploitable, information about themselves online. Specifically, and within the last school year: 16% posted personal interests online, 15% posted information about their physical activities and 20% gave out their real name. In addition, 5% posted information about their school, 6% posted their home address, 6% posted their phone number and 9% posted pictures of themselves.[2]
  • Some 23 percent of teen profile creators say it would be "pretty easy" for someone to find out who they are from the information posted to their profile, and 40 percent of teens with profiles online think that it would be hard for someone to find out who they are from their profile, but that they could eventually be found online. Another 36 percent say they think it would be "very difficult" for someone to identify them from their online profile. [3]
  •  Teens often include the following information on their social networking profiles:[4]

  • o   Real age (50%)

    o   Photos of themselves (62%)

    o   City they live in (41%)

    o   School name/location (45%)

    o   Videos of friends (16%)

    o   Videos of themselves (14%)

    o   Their cell phone number (14%)

    o   Places where they typically go (9%)

  • 59% of teens perceive that public blogs or social networking sites are unsafe.[5]
  • 76% of teens are at least somewhat concerned that posting information publicly could negatively impact future.[6]
  •  26% of teens know someone something bad has happened to because of information or photos posted online.[7]
  • Cases of Internet sex crimes against children involving social networking sites were more likely to result in a face-to-face meeting. This was true of 81% of Internet-initiated crimes involving a social networking site. (Journal of Adolescent Health 27, 2010)
  • 38% of Facebook users in the last year were under the age of 13. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • More than 25% of Facebook users last year were under the age of 10. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • Only 18% of parents with children under 10 on Facebook are actually "friends" with their child on the site. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • 62% of parents of teens ages 13-14 are "friends" with their child are Facebook. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • Only 10% of parents of children aged 10 and under had frank talks about appropriate online behavior and threats. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • Of the active adult users of Facebook, 66% reported they did not know privacy controls existed on Facebook and/or they did not know how to use the privacy controls. (Consumer Reports, June 2011)
  • 85% of parents with teenage children ages 13-17 report that their child has a social networking site. (American Osteopathic Association, 2011)
  • 22% of teenagers log on to their facorite social media site more than 10 times a day. (Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson and COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA, March 2011)
  • More than 50% of adolescents log on to a social media site more than once a day. (Gwenn Schurgin O'Keeffe, Kathleen Clark-Pearson and COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA, March 2011)
  • 29% of Internet sex crime relationships were initiated on a social networking site. (Journal of Adolescent Health 47, 2010)

[1] Teen Online & Wireless Safety Survey: Cyberbullying, Sexting and Parental Controls.  Cox Communications Teen Online and Wireless Safety Survey in Partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 2009. Cox Communications Teen Internet Safety Survey, Wave II, 2007.

[2] (Rochester Institute of Technology, 2008)

[3] (Lenhart, Amanda and Madden, Mary. Teens, Privacy, and Online Social Networks. Pew Internet and American Life Project, April 18, 2007http://www.pewinternet.org/pdf...rivacy_SNS_Report_Final.pdf).

[4] Teen Online & Wireless Safety Survey: Cyberbullying, Sexting and Parental Controls.  Cox Communications Teen Online and Wireless Safety Survey in Partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 2009.