How Millennials Engage with Social Media (Infographic)

Ever wonder how college students and millennials engage with social media on a daily basis?  We at Dailybreak did, and we decided to poll our users to find the answer (through a fun Challenge of course!).  It was a great way for students to take a break from their day while providing us with valuable information about their social activities.  The results, to say the least, were very interesting.

We found that 73% of our users engage with social networks on a consistent basis (i.e. comment, create content, proactively share).  This was no surprise at all, as we all know college students and millennials love Facebook.  What we were not expecting, however, was that only 19% of our users typically access these sites via their mobile devices.  In 2011, there were over 95 million smartphone users in the US (CTIA – The Wireless Association), yet 77% of our users preferred laptops or desktops as their primary access points to their social networks.

We also polled our users on whether or not they follow/”like” a brand or celebrity.  The results were as follows:

• 52% of users follow or like a company or brand.
• 50% follow or like a celebrity.
• Nike is the most-liked brand.
• Kim Kardashian is the most-liked celebrity.

These facts are fun and insightful, but what do they all mean?

We believe that college students in particular are actively checking notifications/tweets on their cell phones on the go.  The majority of their time spent on social networks, however, occurs on their laptops while sitting in class, in their dorm/apartment, or at work.  This could be due to the limited capabilities (internet speed, screen size, functionality) of mobile devices or the fact that they like to take frequent breaks and always carry their laptops.  Whatever the case, the fact remains: most of the potential engagement brands can have with students still occurs via laptops or desktops, despite the mobile craze.  While mobile is critical, our data suggests this demographic still prefers a more stationary screen on which to engage.

In regards to the data on brands and celebrities, college students and millennials are right in line with popular culture.  The average student isn’t looking to learn more about obscure brands or celebrities.  They would much rather see new products and developments from Nike, or where Kim Kardashian went to dinner.

Although smartphone usage has increased dramatically over the past couple of years, it still does not measure up to the amount of time students spend clicking away on their computers.  Looking forward, this will likely change over the coming years as smartphone technology develops further and tablet sales continue to increase.  The bottom line is that college students and millennials are extremely social, and we already knew that!  Now we know where and how.  Check out the infographic below to see all the details.

Social Media Smackdown