Social networkers and technology

A new report from Ipsos Insight reveals the make-up of a social networker in relation to technology ownership, digital entertainment, mobile and social networking.

by Helen Leggatt

According to Brian Cruikshank, Executive Vice President of Ipsos Insight’s Technology and Communications unit, social networkers are gadget and technology fans. "Social networkers are significantly more likely to own technology, consume more digital entertainment, and own more mobile devices,” he said.

The report, called “PROFILE: Social Networker”, (pdf) compares and contrasts the behavior of social networkers with those who do not use such sites.

Other key findings, including comparisons between U.S. and International social networkers, are:

- Over half of U.S. and International social networkers use their mobile device to send and receive SMS text and emails, browse the Internet and receive images. The only difference being that International social networkers tend to have more feature-rich mobile devices.

- With the exception of MP3 players and mobile GPS, U.S. social networkers own more technology than International social networkers.

- More than half of all U.S. social networkers have watched streaming video content online.

- U.S. social networkers are significantly more likely to download a television program, burn or copy a movie and download a feature film.

"This is very important information for media, entertainment, and technology companies to understand," said Cruikshank.