Pew Reseach on Why Americans love social media - "staying in touch"

Pew Research found that’s the “major reason” given by six of every 10 users of Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn is “staying in touch.” And half of the people surveyed said the ability to reconnect with old friends played a “significant role” in using social networking.

Other key findings include:

– Only 11 percent of Twitter users said the major reason they used the microblogging service was to follow celebrities or politicians.

– People ages 50 to 64 were more likely to use social networking sites to connect to others with a common hobby or interest.

– Only 3 percent said they used social networks to find romantic partners.