The social media habits of women 18-34

Oxygen Media released a study conducted by The Oxygen Media Insights Group, into the minds of women (18-34) and their social media habits. The findings have revealed greater information about how young women – and in comparison their male counterparts – are using social media to power their “Live Out Loud” lifestyles. The study revealed they are using it to gather hard news, share information with friends and vent about happenings in their lives at a breakneck pace.

Also uncovered was the ‘addiction’ some profess to have including waking up in the middle of the night to check a text or checking their Facebook in the morning before washing their face or brushing their teeth. The survey, which interviewed more than 1,600 social media users 18-54, explores the profound impact social media has had on today’s young women in their quest to “have it all” and all at once.

OMG! I’m Addicted!
Today’s tech savvy woman 18-34 has a fixed dependence to social media networks. An overwhelming majority (57%) admit to talking to people online more than face-to-face, while 34% say checking Facebook is the first thing they do when waking up in the morning – that includes brushing one’s teeth or using the bathroom. Even more surprising is the 26% who get up in the middle of the night to read text messages and the 21% who confessed to checking Facebook during the night.

More than one third (39%) are self proclaimed Facebook addicts; 37% have fallen asleep with their PDA in their hands; 84% believe its okay to update your status more than once a day; and 78% think it's okay to check someone else’s Facebook profile more than once a day; 19% say they have gotten into fights with loved ones about how much time they spend with their PDAs/cell phones and 31% feel more confident about their online persona than in their real lives.

• 34% women 18-34 say checking Facebook is the first thing they do when waking up in the morning
• 26% women 18-34 get up in the middle of the night to read text messages
• 37% women 18-34 have fallen asleep with their PDA in their hands

Uncensored…actions speak louder than words
Young women don’t always practice what they preach. While privacy is a concern for women 18-34, they have not let this matter censor their behavior. The shocking reveal here is that even though two-thirds (63%) use Facebook as a career networking tool, almost half (42%) think photos of them visibly intoxicated are okay and 32% think photos of themselves or others making obscene gestures are appropriate as well… and for all to see including co-workers and bosses. Respondents also seem to be unconcerned about being tracked at any given time – More than half (56%) of Twitter users think its okay to Tweet their current location; more than half (53%) post issues they are having at the moment; and half (50%) use Facebook to let others know what they are doing. 85% of women think its okay to post photos of a girls or guys night out; 86% think posting photos of children is okay; 79% are okay with kissing in photos and 73% are fine with posting photos of Bachelorette parties.

• While two-thirds (63%) of women 18-34 use Facebook as a career networking tool, almost half (42%) think photos of them visibly intoxicated are okay
• While 37% of women 18-34 admit they’ve accidentally texted something embarrassing to the wrong person, 32% think posting photos of themselves or others on Facebook making obscene gestures is appropriate
• Only 44% of women 18-34 trust Facebook with their private information, but 56% of Twitter users think its okay to Tweet their current location

Are we frenemies?
58% of young women use Facebook to keep up with their frenemies; 50% say its okay to be a Facebook friend with a complete stranger. Maybe Facebook is not a competition for collecting the highest number of friends - a surprising 50% agree they could rely on a Facebook friend for help in a crisis situation, however 46% say its okay to be Facebook friends with someone you don’t like in real life; but only 31% would “de-friend” someone they no longer talk to in real life.

• 58% of women 18-34 use Facebook to keep up with their frenemies
• 46% of women 18-34 say its okay to be Facebook friends with someone you don’t like in real life
• 50% of women 18-34 agree they could rely on a Facebook friend for help in a crisis situation

Staying Connected…no one picks up the phone anymore
Traditional means of communication have been tossed aside by today’s modern young woman 18-34. When keeping in touch with family, friends and various associates an overwhelming 73% agree they text more than they talk on the phone and more than half (56%) consider texting their main form of communication. Keeping with this new age trend, tech obsessed young women have also replaced traditional forms of media as their primary news sources -- 48% find out about news through Facebook more often than traditional news outlets and 41% of those who use Twitter use it to stay up to date on current events and news.

• 56% of women 18-34 consider texting their main form of communication
• 41% of women 18-34 who use Twitter use it to stay up to date on current events and news
• 44% of women 18-34 turn to Facebook for reviews of TV shows and music

The Dating Game
It's time to find a date for Saturday night… 50% of single women 18-34 (vs. 65% of single men) think its okay meeting and dating other singles they meet through Facebook; 6% use it as a way to “hook up” (vs. 20% of men) and 37% of women 18-34 would not take down pictures of her past for a current significant other. When it comes to men 18-49 and their online dating habits, the results are in -- 42% of men think it’s okay to keep tabs on their girlfriends and wives via access to their online accounts (vs. 49% of women) and married men are more likely to cheat using social media. Half of the married men surveyed do not consider sending a text to an ex flame or having a Facebook chat with someone they’re attracted to as cheating. And the men are heartbreakers -- men 18-34 are twice as likely as their female counterparts to break up through Facebook (24% men vs. 9% women) as well as via text message (31% men vs. 14% women). It’s heartening to know that some young women still roll ‘old school.’ 91% say it’s not okay to break up with someone over Facebook; and 74% of Twitter users say it’s not okay to start an argument with someone over Twitter.

• 50% of single women 18-34 (vs. 65% of single men) think its okay meeting and dating other singles they meet through Facebook
• 37% of women 18-34 would not take down pictures of her past for a current significant other
• Men 18-34 are twice as likely as their female counterparts to break up through Facebook (24% men vs. 9% women) as well as via text message (31% men vs. 14% women)

The Moms Weigh In
88% of young moms 18-34 think it's okay to post photos of their children on Facebook; 73% say that Facebook is “me time;” 42% say its okay to send private Facebook messages to members of the opposite sex while in a relationship; 42% feel that it keeps them hip and 25% like their Facebook friends more than their real ones!

• 88% of young moms18-34 think it's okay to post photos of their children on Facebook
• 73% of moms 18-34 say that Facebook is “me time”
• 25% of moms 18-34 like their Facebook friends more than their real ones!

Spoiler Alert!
78% say it's okay to talk about the outcome of TV shows in your Facebook status and 69% say it's okay on Twitter among users!

• 78% of women 18-34 say it's okay to talk about the outcome of TV shows in your Facebook status
• 69% of women 18-34 say it's okay to discuss outcome of TV shows on Twitter among users

The Reality Check
54% of the youngest women (18-24) do not trust Facebook with their private information; 72% agree that what you put on Facebook will live on forever and 89% agree you should never put anything on Facebook that you don’t want your parents to see. 80% of moms 18-34 feel that Facebook is a way to preserve your memories – a “modern day scrapbook” and 55% of moms who Tweet are more likely to keep Twitter for the rest of their lives.

• 54% of women 18-24 do not trust Facebook with their private information
• 72% of women 18-24 agree that what you put on Facebook will live on forever
• 89% of women 18-24 agree you should never put anything on Facebook that you don’t want your parents to see

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