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Fresh data and analysis being released for Label Networks’ Spring Global Youth Culture Study 2008 indicates great changes in communication and networking patterns among 13-25-year-olds in North America. In this story, we concentrate on the usage patterns of young people when it comes to Social Networks and Updating one’s Personal Profile Page.

In our Spring Study, to be released next month, we asked a representative sampling of more than 7,500 13-25-year-olds, “In the last 6 months, are you participating more, less, the same in terms of Social Networks/Updating your Profile?” The most notable results are the cross-tabulations by age groups. There is a direct correlation by age that the younger the age demographic, the higher the percentages that are participating More Frequently, peaking at 69% of 13-14-year-olds, compared with 49% of 21-25-year-olds. What this indicates is that an entirely new demographic of young people are moving into participating in social networks at a younger age and at a faster rate than older demographics. How this demographic participates vs. older demographics will be important to note in terms of changing patterns in social networking in general. For example, 21-25-year-olds have a slightly higher percentage that are participating Just as Frequently, meaning that they are already in a social network, but what was available to this age group and how they use them today, is different than 13-14-year-olds who are coming into the scene with greater access to different niche social networks, not to mention the greater source of tools available, and a greater knowledge of social networking in general (i.e., it’s not “new” per se, but rather, something that’s “been around”).

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Overall however, by topline 58.1% of 13-25-year-olds are participating in Social Networks/Updating their Profile Page More Frequently today, than they did in the last 6 months, indicating the growing power of social networking in general. For most, especially when we compare these results with blogging culture questions, email, IM/Chat, social networks provide people with a way to get the word out to more people about what they have going on faster, and more efficiently, and with greater creative expression, than say, emailing. As many young people believe, email is used more by older people, or for work. Instead, younger demographics are corresponding via social networks and texting for immediate conversations, with a serious drop in emailing overall.

What’s also important to note, is that by gender, females are participating in social networks with higher percentages that say More Frequently at 58.9% compared with males at 55.3% -although this does indicate a high percentage for males also.

Overall, social networking is becoming one of the most powerful forms of communication among young people and should be used for grassroots networking, sponsorship, marketing, and advertising as more young people move into this space as a predominate form of expression and communication.

For more information about Social Networks, including top websites, Blogging Culture, Emailing, IM/Chat including fresh results from the Spring Global Youth Culture Study 2008, contact info@labelnetworks.com; (323) 630-4000. This Study is free for Premium Global Youth Culture Subscribers 2008.