Social network usage continues to rise

Web users around the world are continuing to flock to social networking websites, according to new figures from Nielsen Online.

Wednesday, 24 June 2009

The statistics reveal that the total number of minutes spent on such sites soared by 82 per cent in the 12 months to May 2009, with the average amount of time spent on social networks per visitor rising by 67 per cent.

Facebook is still the top social network globally, attracting 144.3 million visitors, while MySpace dominates in terms of the total number of video streams watched by members.

However, microblogging service Twitter became the fastest growing web brand in May, its unique visitor numbers surging from 1.2 million last year to 18.2 million this year, representing an increase of 1,448 per cent.

"People continue to spend more time on social networking and blog sites than ever before," Nielsen Online says.

The research company revealed earlier this year that 67 per cent of the global online population now visits a social networking or blog site, making the category the fourth most popular on the web ahead of personal email.

Its study found that UK web users were the most likely to access a social network with a mobile phone, with two million people or 23 per cent of the online population doing so.

Follow the IAB on Twitter