Kids Becoming Too Cool for Social Networking?

Might the adoption of social networking by adults be starting to drive the kids away?

Although their love of being online shows no sign of abating, the percentage of 15- to 24-year-olds who have a profile on a social networking site has dropped for the first time – from 55% at the start of last year to 50% this year. In contrast, 46% of 25- to 34-year-olds are now regularly checking up on sites such as Facebook compared with 40% last year...

"There is nothing to suggest overall usage of the internet among 15-to 24-year-olds is going down," said Peter Phillips, the regulator's head of strategy. "Data suggests they are spending less time on social networking sites."

The reversal probably makes sense to some extent. Social networking might need to fragment a bit more into sub-communities in order to satisfy some peoples' desire to not share their entire life with everyone they know, or to feel part of a smaller, special club. Perhaps even a company like Facebook could do it themselves, creating a variety of very distinct community experiences within itself whereby one could separate from the standard Facebook masses. But social networking is likely to develop much further and become more integrated into people's lives in my view, even if it is no longer a symbol of the fashionably-conscious online. It's far too efficient as a means of keeping in touch and sharing experiences in today's world for it to stop expanding.