Social networking is the most popular online activity for all generations, with 22% of time online spent on channels like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
So if the world ended on December 21, 2012 as the Mayans predicted and some people actually believe, what does the world have to show for it?
Some would say, a lot of wasted time. Others argue it’s the way the world has evolved.
Let’s start with Facebook, the number one most visited social media website, and trailing Google for the most trafficked website in the world.
A normal Facebook user spends around 7 hours, 45 minutes and 49 seconds per month on Facebook. Since the average user has his or her Facebook page for 2 years that adds up to 7 days 18 hours 19 min and 36 seconds.
Connor Sequeira, a junior business major, doesn’t think that all time is necessarily a waste. “I don’t see anything wrong with spending time on social media sites. It teaches people to me more social and to also stay connected with friends, current events, and other important news. Not to mention, if everything is clean, it can look good for employers if you are social,” he says.
Twitter, as of May 2012, has more than 140 million active users, sending 340 million tweets every day. That adds up to upwards of 2 billion tweets a week. Twitter is also the fastest growing social network and should see 250 million active users by the end of 2012.
Pinterest is the third most popular social network behind Facebook and Twitter. Over 20% of Facebook users are on Pinterest daily and the Pinterest app has been downloaded nearly 250,000 times. The average time spent on Pinterest is 14.2 minutes per day.
So an average member of the social media generation has spent over a week on Facebook, may have over a 100 followers on Twitter, and will have a Pinterest account by next year (if not presently).
It’s not just a select group of kids anymore using the internet to constantly update their online profile, 62 percent of adults now use social media, and scientists are noticing appalling trends.
Fifty-six percent of social media users have admitted to using channels to spy on their partners in a relationship. Seventy-one percent of the millions of tweets each day attract no reaction. Seven percent of the time that people spend at their jobs browsing the internet is to access social media for their personal use. Staff using social networking sites, at work, are costing businesses $759 billion every year in total salary costs.
However, some students disagree about social media being just a negative trend.
Tevin Christopher, a sophomore communications major, says, “Social media is definitely a distraction but with moderation, as with anything, it can become an asset and even be used as an outlet of expression. Social media has also brought us together as a generation and were now able to see extreme norms and oddities at a microscopic level that we haven’t had before. That’s something special, now if it hinders your progress in school/work, that’s your fault.”
Miles Cable, a sophomore film major and owner of his own company Fresh View Films, agrees with Christopher. “Social network sites are an amazing resource, I have gained business from around the nation, even world, just through Facebook. It is a way to branch out and gain publicity and recognition,” he says.
If the world was really to end on December 21st, 2012 like the Mayans predicted, how much time, if any, did you waste?
EDITORS NOTE – All numerical info was collected from SocialSkinny.com and Go-Gulf.com