In the early part of 2009, the PEW Internet & American Life Project released Adults and Social Network Websites , a December 2008 tracking survey that finds more than four-fold increase since 2005 (8-35%) in adult American internet users that actually have an online social networking site profile. That is compared to 65% online American teens use those same social networks.

The share of adult internet users who have a profile on a social networking site has more than quadrupled in the past four years — from 8% in 2005 to 35% now,1 according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project’s December 2008 tracking survey.

While media coverage and policy attention focus heavily on how children and young adults use social network sites, adults still make up the bulk of the users of these websites. (Since adults make up a larger portion of the U.S. population than teens do, the 35% proportion represents a larger number of users than the 65% of online teens2 who use online social networks.3)

Source: PEW Internet & American Life Internet Project, Adults and Social Networking Use

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