Is Social Networking Really that Important?

A recent report by eMarketer revealed that social networking is one of the most important online activities, trailing close behind email.

Respondents were asked to rank the importance of Email, Online Social Networking, Online Chat/IM, Web Browsing, Online Forums, Texting, Online Discussions, Online News Feeds, and Blogging...with “1” being the most important.

As you can see, Email is ranked #1 at an importance level of 2.6; Online Social Networking is 3.1.

81% of respondents taking part in social networking claimed posting photos was the top social networking activity.

“This is a particularly important finding,” according to the report, “in that it suggests that these younger users have integrated social networks into their lives to such an extent that it has become a trusted resource for their decision making.”

A March 2009 study by Knowledge Networks found that “between 10% and 24% of US social media users turned to social networks when making purchase decisions about various categories of products and services. Less than 5% said they ‘always’ did so.”