Social media use grows, from bathroom to boardroom

Though social media studies often focus on how we connect, few ask the question of where. New research conducted by Nielsen and NM Incite sought to do just that, and the answer retrieved is a shining example of why ignorance is bliss.

According to the report, published this week, one in three people aged 18 to 24 engage in online social networking while in the bathroom. Just as off-putting for employers, the study also reveals that 51 per cent of people age 25 to 34 use social networking at the office — more so than any other age group. The findings are part of a year-over-year analysis of how social media is evolving.

“The number of people using social media, the amount of time we spend on social media, the devices that we use to access social media, and the social media sites that we use are all growing,” says Deirdre Bannon, vicepresident of social media at Nielsen.

Although the report primarily addresses American usage, it nonetheless provides a striking snapshot of how people’s approach to social media is evolving.

For one, it’s eating up more and more of the day. To wit, time spent on such sites increased to 121 billion minutes in July 2012, representing a year-over-year increase of 37 per cent.

This year also proved a game-changer for what Bannon dubs “social care:” the use of social media sites to facilitate interaction between customers and brands.

Fully one in three users said they preferred social media to the phone for their customer-service issues.