LOS ANGELES – Online social networks have caused a fundamental shift in the way people interact with each other and with media, including TV, according to research conducted for Fox Interactive Media, Isobar and Carat USA by research firms TRU, TNS and Marketing Evolution.
More than 70% of Americans 15-34 are actively using online social networks, and social networking sites are taking a strong foothold in primetime hours, according to the research based on quantitative and qualitative feedback from about 3,000 U.S. Internet users and MySpace clients.
Asked which free-time activity they would choose, U.S. social networkers picked interacting on sites such as MySpace.com as their favorite activity online or offline, ahead of television viewing and on par with cell phone usage.
Online social networks are also responsible for initiating meaningful brand connections, according to the research results, which were released at the “Never Ending Friending” conference in Los Angeles Monday morning.
"There is no doubt that social networks are a phenomenon, but it’s our job to continue building our products in a way that maximizes the experience for both consumers and advertisers – and the learnings from this type of data will be crucial to that mission," said Fox Interactive Media Chief Revenue Officer Michael Barrett.
More than 40% of all social networkers said they use social networking sites to learn more about brands or products that they like, and 28% said at some point a friend has recommended a brand or product to them, according to the research.
The users spent the vast majority of time connecting with family and friends as opposed to meeting new people. Some 69% said they utilize social networks to connect with existing friends and 41% said they use the sites to hook up with family members.
