Though only a mere 15 years old, the social media giant Facebook seems like it has been around forever. It has overpowered America, and most of the world, and can dictate just about anything it chooses to. The Pew Research Center took a month to do some extensive research into the Facebook presence in the USA and how Americans use it and react to it. Some of the findings may surprise you to say the least.
- Nearly 70% of all Americans have a Facebook page and regularly tend to it. The only social media platform that outdoes Facebook is YouTube with 73% of Americans checking it out everyday. While Instagram continues to be a coming force, only around 40% of the USA is currently engaged with it.
- Facebook covers all generations yet there are certain demographics that visit more regularly. Women come in at 75% compared with just 63% of American men using the platform regularly. The 18-29 year old demographic has the most of any generation with nearly 80% using the platform on a daily basis.
- Facebook used to be the dominant force in the life of American teens but isn’t any longer. Facebook has been overshadowed by YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram which have become the go-to platforms for teens these days. One of the most stunning findings in the Pew research is the frightening fact that nearly half of all American adults get their news from Facebook.
- Most users have no idea how Facebook’s news feed, or AI, works and most are rather uncomfortable with Facebook’s AI tracking them and serving up what Facebook decides they should see or read. In fact, Facebook has one of the most sophisticated AI systems anywhere and can easily keep track of tastes and traits.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
