A 2010 Media Audit study of social media users in the U.S. shows that, on average, 60% of adults with children at home will use Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace, while only 51.3% of the general adult population will do so, as reported by eMarketer.
Also, adults with young children tend to use these sites significantly more than those with older children at home; among those adults who have children under the age of 6 years old, 67% visit Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter in a typical month. The number drops to 61% for adults with children ages 6-12, 58% for adults with children 13-17, and finally down to 55% for those with children 18 and older at home.
Parents of young children are also in the market to buy big-ticket items – many for the first time – including cars, household appliances, and new homes, representing an important demographic for marketers that can largely be reached through social networking sites.
According to Media Audit, consumers with young children under the age of six are:
- 15% more likely than the general population to be in the market for a new vehicle in the next 12 months
- 37% more likely to be shopping for new video equipment such as a camera, VCR or DVD player
- 69% more likely to be planning to buy a home in the next two years
- 11% more likely to be planning a home remodeling project
