Barna Technology Study: Social Networking and Online Entertainment

When the Internet clicked into the public

consciousness more than a decade ago,

experts debated its usefulness and

staying power. Now, few would argue

that mobile devices and online technology

have become deeply embedded in society.

Millions of Americans have become

dependent upon the new digital conveniences that provide them with entertainment,

information, products, and content. The impact of these technologies on interpersonal

relationships - a domainoften called social networking - has begun to rewire the way

people meet, express themselves,

and stay connected.

A new study from The Barna Group explores social networking as well as how Americans use digital technology to get the products, services, and content they desire. The research identifies the

mainstream - as well as emerging - platforms and practices. Additionally, the Barna study also

examines how the Christian community engages with such technologies, including the use of church podcasts.

Electronic Communication

A cultural novelty a mere 15 years ago, email has become an essential part of culture and

commerce. Currently, nearly four out of five Americans (78%) who access a computer have

sent an email in the past week. As proof of its mainstream status, computer users over

the age of 50 are just as likely as younger adults to use email.

By contrast, text messaging and instant messaging (IM) are used by smaller, though

devoted segments of the population. One-third of computer users (33%) have used

IM in the past week, while 30% of Americans have sent someone a text message via

a mobile telephone. One of the reasons younger adults email rates are merely "average"

compared to older residents is the younger set’s heavy reliance on IM’ing and texting to

stay connected.

Facebook, MySpace and the Blogosphere

The Internet helps individuals express themselves. Millions of Americans have taken

advantage of this, launching personal websites and blogs (short for "weblogs").

While these personal venues for self-expression have become a significant feature

of the online landscape, most Americans remain on the digital sidelines: just

one-quarter of computer users (23%) has apersonal webpage or home page on

a social networking site (such as Facebook or MySpace).

Even fewer adults have a personal blog where they communicate their ideas and

experiences (10% of Americans with regular access to a computer). Interestingly,

an even higher proportion of computer users (14%) had posted a comment on

another person’s blog in the last week.

Blogging has not reached the "tipping point" towards becoming a mainstream

activity (an emerging technology is often thought to "tip" toward majority use

when the penetration reaches 20% or more of the population). Still, there are

an estimated 16 million American adults who use their blog as a pulpit to

broadcast their voice to the world. Blogs are most common among single

adults, Northeast residents, homosexuals, those not registered to vote,

and atheists and agnostics. One other insight related to blogs is the sheer

devotion many bloggers find in the pursuit, rarely letting their online journals

grow dark. More than seven out of 10 people who have a blog update the

online journal at least once a week.

Finding Information, Content and Entertainment

Not surprisingly, the promise of the Internet - instant access to ubiquitous

information - is not lost on Americans. Searching for information or content

is easily the most common online activity of the 15 assessed in the study.

In all, more than eight out of 10 computer users had snapped up information

via the Web in the last week (84%).

Compared to online search habits, a less common activity is online purchasing.

Still, the Internet has become a viable and widely used retail channel, tallying

one-quarter of computer users (27%) who have completed an online purchase

in the last week. With more people than ever using high-speed connections,

watching online videos has also become an important feature of the inter-connected

digital world. Overall, one-quarter of computer users (26%) reported watching a video

via the Internet in the previous seven days. This was twice as common as downloading

music in the past week (13% of users).