Social networking sites and our lives | Pew Internet & American Life Project

http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Technology-and-social-networks/Summary.aspx

The number of those using social networking sites has nearly doubled since 2008 and the population of SNS users has gotten older.

On Facebook on an average day:

15% of Facebook users update their own status.
22% comment on another’s post or status.
20% comment on another user’s photos.
26% “Like” another user’s content.
10% send another user a private message

Facebook users are more trusting than others.

Facebook users have more close relationships.

Facebook users get more social support than other people.

Facebook users are much more politically engaged than most people.

Facebook revives “dormant” relationships.

Social networking sites are increasingly used to keep up with close social ties.

MySpace users are more likely to be open to opposing points of view.