MYTH THREE: Social networking sites are just for kids.
Josh Shabtai, Ketchum's senior new media specialist, is a self-described geek who regularly translates new media technology into creative, easy-to-understand applications for clients.
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In the media attention around youngsters growing up too fast, too soon, it's become commonly accepted wisdom that online social networks — commonly represented by brands like MySpace and Facebook — are the province of 'tweens. That's not entirely true.
While leading studies demonstrate that modern children are "pre-wired" to handle interactive technologies like instant messaging, mobile phones and social networking in a way that many adults aren't, the Ketchum/USC study and others reveal that older demographic groups are participating in online social networks in growing numbers. Indeed, eMarketer reports that more than 30 million mothers are online and 70 percent visit social networking sites like ClubMom and NewBaby.com.
Other social networks, built around sports, are capturing male audiences in the 25-to-54 year-old age range; the Sporting News' online community boasts more than 500,000 of these users. Social networks are even popping up for the 50-plus set. Just a few months ago, Eons.com opened its doors as the first social network devoted exclusively to baby boomers.
Even MySpace, the social network most commonly cited as a playground for the young, appears to be growing up. On Oct. 5, comScore Media Metrix revealed that more than half of the network's visitors are 35 and older. And, more revealing, it found that only about 12 percent are younger than 17 years old. Social networks just for kids? Not anymore.
