Said the little boy, ‘Sometimes I drop my spoon.’, and the old man, ‘I do that too.’: Reflecting on online information practices across the generations
- Rhonda McEwen, Assistant Professor from UTM
Social Media
- avg user 15 1/2 hrs per month
- ~23 mins per visit
- connected to 80 community pages/groups
- 90 pieces of content per month
- 200 mill ppl access via mobile per day
- which means 30+ bill pieces of content per day
- users via mobile 2x active as non-mobile users
- 2011: 65% adult Internet users spend time on social networks
That social media is a “young person thing” is a fallacy.
- 140 mill users and growing
- 340 mill tweets published daily
- 60% outside of US
- 26+ yr = 83%
- login stats are misleading, because most users never “log out”
- again, 25-34, the middle age group is the largest
- a large group have children
- monthly active users: 100 mill
- avg posted photos: 40 mill
- limited use: first iOS, more recently Android
- dependent on mobile (not something you use on desktop)
- fastest growth/shortest time to reach 100 mill users
When we’re talking about social media, we’re not talking about “kids”.
Pew Internet Research
Libraries research, focus on change of
- reading habits
- mix of library services
- tastes of library patrons
Takeaways:
- Libraries are appreciated, especially by parents: 91% important to community; 76% them + their families
- Libraries stack up well vs. others: public confidence in library, higher than all other organizations e.g. military, small businesses
- People like librarians: 98% “ever” visited had positive experiences
- Libraries have rebranded themselves as tech hubs: very important – 80% borrowing books, reference; 77% free access; 76% quiet study spaces
- who uses: well educated, high household income, group in the middle
- E-book reading is growing; borrowing is just getting started: those who read print
- People are open to even more tech at libraries: #1 virtual reference, #2 view/use library services on mobile
- The public invites you to be more engaged in knotty problems e.g. coordinate with local schools, free literacy programs, different/comfortable spaces, digitize personal collections
- Libraries have a PR problem/opportunity: 46% know some services, 31% know not much/nothing of services
- There is churn in library use: e.g. increase use: enjoy taking kids to; decrease use: convenience of online information
- Mothers are special
- There is a truly detached population out there that matters to you: 16% never visited, 23% didn’t read a book in 12 months
Break Time!
