While for some social networks are still entertainment, for others they have become a way of life . They allow us to communicate more easily, they make the exchange of information and knowledge faster and more efficient, and they facilitate common activities.
What is undoubted is that social networks are a transforming movement . In recent years, the life habits and behavior of thousands of people have changed and nowadays it is strange not to have a personal profile in at least some of them.
Currently there are more than 2,000 million users in the world that have a presence on any social network according to Statista Data . In Spain, according to this year’s IAB annual study on social networks , 86% of Internet users between 16 and 65 years old use social networks, representing more than 19 million users in our country.
Among all of them, millennials , those born between 1980 and 1995, are the ones who use them the most . They are the first generation to have grown up surrounded by electronic devices and cannot understand reality without the Internet. But adult generations are also interested in the digital world and increasingly have a presence on the networks. However, as is evident, tastes and needs change over the years, so it is not surprising that the presence in each social network is different depending on the age range.
What are the most used social networks by each generation?
The youngest users, between 12 and 18 years old, choose Instagram to start their journey in the world of social networks. They consider it a space where they can “show off” sharing all kinds of photos and following their favorite celebrities. They prefer it over others like Facebook or Twitter, which they consider more serious and for older people.
In addition, the appearance of the so-called Instagram Stories has brought about a boom in this social network and has relegated Snapchat , which was previously the queen among the youngest, to second place. Many teenagers have abandoned “the yellow network” and created an Instagram profile when their friends who already had one on this network stopped using Snapchat.
YouTube is also one of the favorites among the youngest . And is that the so-called generation Z uses this platform as a television. The volume of content is much higher and more varied and allows them to see what they want, how and when they want.
The next generation, so-called millennials , ages 18 to 30, prefer Facebook , where many debuted in the world of social media. They consider it to be more complete and dynamic, since they can share photographs but also states and content, in addition to following pages that, through their publications, allow them to be constantly updated.
Another of her favorites is Twitter , where they can search for current news and stay up to date with everything that happens. They are also very active on Instagram , although they use it more to share photos and to follow the personalities that interest them. YouTube is not far behind among people in this age range, although they prefer Spotify to listen to music. However, it is interesting that, unlike the previous generation, they still frequently consume conventional television.
The adults aged between 30 and 55 years also prefer Facebook and Twitter. Their presence is less in networks like Instagram but, on the contrary, they are the ones that use networks like LinkedIn the most. They consider the latter more professional and take advantage of it to be connected with their work contacts.
We do not usually relate the use of social networks to the elderly , however, according to data published by the iProfesional portal , there are currently around 40 million users in the world who are over 65 years old . Facebook and Twitter are the platforms most frequently chosen by people of this age since they allow them to be connected, especially with their family members, and to be up-to-date with current events quickly and easily. And, just like its previous generation, LinkedIn is also successful among these people, who if they do not have an active profile at the moment, they have had a few years ago.
In short, each person, depending on their age and other variables such as education, work environment, or tastes and interests, has different needs . It is logical then that they use social networks with characteristics and a language that adapts to them and helps them satisfy them.
