[LINK] "Popularity of Facebook and MySpace changes, but SES differences in use persist"

[rfmcdonald]

Eszter Hargittai reports on a study that she carried out on the demographics of users of Facebook and MySpace. The results are certainly interesting.

There are two main findings here. First, there is a general increase in use of Facebook and a general decline in use of MySpace across the board. In 2007, 79% of the study participants were using Facebook while in 2009, 87% of the sample reports doing so. In contrast, while in 2007, 55% of the group reported using MySpace, in 2009, only 36% do so.

Second, we continue to see ethnic and racial differences as well as different usage by parental education (a proxy for socioeconomic status). Students of Hispanic origin are more likely to use MySpace than others and less likely to use Facebook than others. Asian American students are the least likely to be on MySpace. Regarding parental education, the relatively small number (7%) of students in the sample whose parents have less than a high school education are much more likely to be on MySpace and much less likely to be on Facebook than others. Students from families where at least one parent has a college degree are much less likely to be MySpace users than others.

In my 2007 paper, I talked a bit about what may be going on here, but getting deep into that is difficult through data of this sort. danah boyd does much more in-depth work in this realm – granted, on high school students not college students – and has shared reflections both two years ago and just last week on what may be going on.

As Hargittai cautions in the comments, this draws from an unrepresentative sample of very active people. Still, it's interesting, don't you think? I did a [LINK] post on this subject back in 2007, for whatever it's worth.

Go, read the Crooked Timber post and my 2007 post. Please? ;-)