Online social networking has become more popular than using email, according to a new survey from Nielsen Online.
The new data shows that on average one out of every 11 minutes spent online is devoted to either social networking or blogging sites. The most popular social networking site was Facebook with 108.3 million users, closely followed by MySpace with 81 million users.
The survey also shows that social networking growth has been three times as fast as general online growth, and that the most popular age group on Facebook is the 35 to 49-year-old category.
But social networking is also becoming a popular pastime among retirees, with the amount of men and women aged 65 moving to social networking growing by 7% over the past year.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
