The survey, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Bubblews in June among more than 2,000 U.S. adults, examined online and social media behaviors and preferences, and found that more than 3 out of 4 Americans (76%) use social media. The vast majority of Americans who use social media (83%) admit they are most likely to discover important news on social media than anywhere else, with 63% saying they discover important life news, including:
Birth of a baby or pregnancy of a friend/relative – 50%
Friend/relative being involved in an accident – 37%
Death of a friend/relative – 36%
Promotion of a friend/relative – 36%
The Bubblews research also found that more than two in five (44%) American social media users say they are most likely to discover daily world/local/political election news on social media websites, specifically: daily local news (34%), daily world news (29%) and political election news (20%).
Social Media Pet Peeves
When it comes to pet peeves, two-thirds of Americans (68%) have dislikes about the most popular social media websites available today. Among the top grievances, 4 in 10 (42%) dislike seeing too many advertisements and a quarter (26%) dislike not finding content relevant to them. Additional dislikes include such things as:
They are too corporate (15%)
Seeing posts that are too short/too long (11%)
Not being connected to people with similar interests (10%)
More than six in ten (62%) Americans say they are willing to try a new social media website. Among the most popular motivators, 4 in 10 (41%) U.S. adults would try a new social media website if the content was relevant to them. Other reasons that would make Americans try a new social media website include:
Being paid to post content (26%)
Being connected to people with similar interests (24%)
Hearing that friends were doing it (21%)
Time Spent Reading Online News and Social Media
The research also looked at how much time is spent online reading news and using social media outlets. While more than two in five Americans (44%) spend less than an hour per day online reading news and/or posting to social media websites, three in ten (31%) spend 1-2 hours per day. 15% of Americans spend between 3-4 hours per day and a committed 2% of those in the U.S. spend between 21-24 hours per day online reading news and/or using social media.
“This is fantastic research that supports what we’ve observed — U.S. users are ready for novel approaches to social networking,” said Global Digital Strategist Jennifer Neeley who has advised companies like Red Bull, Starbucks, IBM and Microsoft on their social media and digital strategies. “Bubblews is an exciting new player whose leadership has a track record that brings a fresh perspective to how social networks monetize their user’s content. Our most personal experiences are being monetized, so why shouldn’t they share in the wealth that comes from the ad revenue these networks generate? Pairing a proven financial model like AdSense with social networking makes sense and adds a layer of both credibility and down to earth honesty that is lacking elsewhere. I am excited to see where Bubblews goes. It could lead us to a more equitable social media age.”
“Our research shows that American appetites for social media are still more than healthy: It’s also clear that the need for relevant content by online users is not yet truly being met in the social platforms available to them today,” said Arvind Dixit, CEO and Co-Founder, Bubblews. “Now is the time for the social landscape to evolve into its next iteration and we at Bubblews are excited to help push that change forward.”
“These numbers tell an interesting story about the way we as people communicate in our everyday lives,” said Jason Zuccari, President and Co-Founder, Bubblews. “Traditional communication methods of days past are being replaced as social media adoption grows beyond the tipping point in consumer lifestyles. When you consider that social media is where more than half of users in our country are getting important life news, you can understand the opportunity that exists for a community based ecosystem that not only delivers the social content people really want to consume, but offers them compensation for their contributions.”
Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Bubblews from June 30-July 2, 2014 among 2,047 adults ages 18 and older, among which 1,509 use social media websites. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact [email protected].
About Bubblews
Bubblews is a social networking company that provides access to opportunity to people across the world. Serving more than 20 million visitors per month, Bubblews is a top website worldwide. Founded in 2012 by Arvind Dixit and Jason Zuccari, Bubblews is headquartered in San Francisco, Calif. and has received Seed and Angel Funding from AJZ Capital, LLC and Capital Financial Ventures, LLC.
Contacts
For Bubblews
Dan Jackson, 415-442-4032
or
Jessica Nelson, 415-442-4024
