The FINANCIAL — One-out-of-two Americans now use some sort of social networking site such as Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn or Twitter, but an overwhelming majority of Adults are concerned about the safety of personal information on these sites.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of American Adults say they now belong to a social networking site. Forty-eight percent (48%) do not.
In January 2009, just 29% said they belonged to a social networking site such as Myspace, Facebook or LinkedIn. That survey did not mention Twitter in the question.
Adults 40 and under are much more likely to be members of such sites than those who are older.
Eighty-six percent (86%) of those who belong to social networking sites say they use them primarily for personal reasons. Just 12% rely on them chiefly for business.
But 82% of all Americans are at least somewhat concerned about the security of personal information posted on the social networking sites, including 52% who are Very Concerned. Just 16% are not very or not at all concerned about the safety of this information.
Women are more concerned than men. Older adults worry more about the security of this information than younger Americans do.
Social networking is becoming more prevalent in society as a convenient way of communication between friends, family, coworkers and even students and teachers. In July, three percent (3%) of adults said they use social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace as their top choice for communication, and adults in their 30s were the most likely to use social networks to stay in touch.
It’s important to note that that percentage was higher than the percentage of adults who still rely primarily on the U.S. Mail.
The social networking giant Facebook hit 500 million members in July, meaning that roughly eight percent of the world’s population is on Facebook. The site has frequently been the center of debates about online privacy and safety of information.
In May, 69% of American Facebook users said they were concerned about the security of their personal information on the site.
However, a July survey found that, among Twitter users, less than half were concerned about the security of their personal information.
Yet 39% of Americans think social networking sites are harmful to society, although almost as many (34%) think they are helpful in today’s world. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure.
Those under 40, the most likely to use the sites, are more inclined to view them as helpful, while older Americans hold a more negative perception.
Last January, 62% of social networking users said they had happily reconnected with someone from their past using such sites.
Of course, as social networking sites open themselves up to teenagers and children, as Facebook has, they also open the door to potential problems like online bullying, or “cyber bullying.” Cases of cyber bullying have become more and more prominent as social networking gained popularity, and most adults say it is just as dangerous as physical bullying.
Three-out-of-four Americans (75%) believe young children spend too much time on computers and other electronic devices.
Only 26% of adults, however, think they have become too dependent on computers and other electronic devices.
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