Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals Lead in Usage of Online Social Networks

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent national survey found that more online gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) individuals use social networks Friendster and MySpace per week compared to online heterosexuals. Other well-known websites such as YouTube, Craigslist and personal web logs also were found to be more popular among GLB individuals.

These are some of the highlights of a nationwide online survey of 2,541 U.S. adults (ages 18 and over) conducted between November 13 and 20, 2006, by Harris Interactive(R), a global market research and consulting firm, in conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc., a strategic public relations and marketing communications firm with special expertise in the GLBT market. The results reported in this release refer to U.S. adults who are online.

Twenty-seven percent of GLB individuals reported they visit the popular free video sharing website, youtube.com, at least one hour or less per week, compared with 22 percent of all heterosexuals. GLB individuals were also slightly more likely to visit Craigslist.com (20%), a centralized network of online urban communities, featuring free classified advertisements and forums, one hour or less per week (while 13% of heterosexuals say they visit Craigslist).

Even more significant is that gays and lesbians are online much more than their heterosexual counterparts. Excluding email, nearly twice as many gays and lesbians (32%) say they are online between 24 and 168 hours per week, compared to 18 percent of heterosexuals.

Bob Witeck, CEO of Witeck-Combs Communications, said, "We have consistently benchmarked strong online usage by the gay community. Gays and lesbians have shown their need to build and maintain an early and major presence on the web that translates directly into significant market opportunities. Social networks also appear to be second nature for the gay and lesbian consumer."

Regarding web logs or blog use, the survey found about one in four GLB individuals (24%) report visiting personal blogs, which are websites that serve as an individual's personal online journal, compared to 12 percent of heterosexuals. In fact, over one in three GLB adults (36%) visit their favorite blogs everyday, while only 19 percent of heterosexuals say they visit their favorite blogs daily. GLB respondents also reported having a more positive reaction towards advertising found on blogs, by two to one when compared to heterosexuals (22% vs. 9%).

                                 TABLE 1
                          VISIT SOCIAL NETWORKS
 "On average, how much time per week do you spend on any of these sites?"
                Summary of those who visit at all per week

  Base: All U.S. adults

                                      Total            GLB      Heterosexual
                                        %               %             %
  Friendster                            5              11             4
  MySpace                              27              33            28
  Facebook                             11              11            11

Note: Total includes all heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender respondents. Total also includes an over-sample of gay/lesbian respondents.

                                 TABLE 2
                            VISIT YOUTUBE.COM
 "On average, how much time per week do you spend on any of these sites?"

  Base: All U.S. adults


                                      Total            GLB      Heterosexual
                                        %               %             %
  1 hour or less                       22              27            22
  2 - 4 hours                           4               9             4
  5 - 7 hours                           1               0             1
  8 - 10 hours                          *               2             *
  More than 10 hours                    *               *             *
  Do not go to this site               69              60            71
  Not sure                              3               2             2

  Note: "*" indicates less than 0.5%., "-" indicates no response.
  Note: Percentages may not add exactly to 100% due to rounding.

Note: Total includes all heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender respondents. Total also include an over-sample of gay/lesbian respondents.

                                 TABLE 3
                           VISIT CRAIGSLIST.COM
 "On average, how much time per week do you spend on any of these sites?"

  Base: All U.S. adults

                                      Total            GLB      Heterosexual
                                        %               %             %
  1 hour or less                       14              20            13
  2 - 4 hours                           4              10             3
  5 - 7 hours                           1               1             1
  8 - 10 hours                          *               *             *
  More than 10 hours                    *               1             *
  Do not go to this site               78              65            79
  Not sure                              3               3             3

  Note: "*" indicates less than 0.5%., "-" indicates no response.
  Note: Percentages may not add exactly to 100% due to rounding.

Note: Total includes all heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender respondents. Total also include an over-sample of gay/lesbian respondents.

                                 TABLE 4
                    TIME SPENT ONLINE, EXCLUDING EMAIL
"Excluding email, how many hours per week do you spend on the Internet or
                             World Wide Web?"

  Base: All U.S. adults


                                      Total      Gay/Lesbian   Heterosexual
                                        %             %               %
  Light Users (Net)                     9             6              10
    0 hours                             1             3               *
    1-2 hours                           9             4               9
  Medium Users (Net)                   30            19              31
    3-5 hours                          25            17              26
    6-7 hours                           5             2               5
  Heavy Users (Net)                    61            75              59
    8-15 hours                         28            26              28
    16-23 hours                        14            16              13
    24-168 hours                       19            32              18

  Note: "*" indicates less than 0.5%., "-" indicates no response.
  Note: Percentages may not add exactly to 100% due to rounding.

Note: Total includes all heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender respondents. Total also include an over-sample of gay/lesbian respondents.

                                 TABLE 5
                          TYPES OF BLOGS VISITED
                    "What types of blogs do you read?"

  Base: All U.S. adults

                                      Total            GLB      Heterosexual
                                        %               %             %
  Personal blogs                       12              24            12
  News blogs                            9              19             9
  Political blogs                       8              13             8
  Current issue blogs                   7              13             7
  Entertainment blogs                   7               9             6
  Sports blogs                          5               8             5
  Music blogs                           4               6             4
  Pop culture blogs                     3               6             3
  Book blogs                            2               5             2
  Gay and Lesbian blogs                 1               4             *
  Other                                 3               4             3
  I do not read blogs                  73              60            74

  Note: "*" indicates less than 0.5%., "-" indicates no response.
  Note: Multiple-response question.

Note: Total includes all heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender respondents. Total also include an over-sample of gay/lesbian respondents.

                                 TABLE 6
                  FREQUENCY OF VISITS TO FAVORITE BLOGS
              "How often do you visit your favorite blogs?"

  Base: U.S. adults who read blogs

                                      Total            GLB      Heterosexual
                                        %               %             %
  Daily                                20              36            19
  4-6 times per week                    9              11             9
  2-3 times per week                   17              11            17
  Once a week                          21              12            22
  Once every two weeks                 12               7            13
  Once a month                          9              11             8
  Less often than once a month         13              11            13

  Note: Percentages may not add exactly to 100% due to rounding.

Note: Total includes all heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender respondents. Total also include an over-sample of gay/lesbian respondents.

                                 TABLE 7
                  ATTITUDES TOWARD ADVERTISING ON BLOGS
 "Using the scale below, how do you feel towards advertisements found on
                                 blogs?"

  Base: U.S. adults who read blogs

                                      Total            GLB      Heterosexual
                                        %               %             %
  TOP 2 BOX (NET)                      11              22             9
    Very positive                       2               5             1
    Somewhat positive                   9              17             8
    Neither positive nor negative      46              31            47
  BOTTOM 2 BOX (NET)                   44              47            43
    Somewhat negative                  20              25            20
    Very Negative                      23              22            24

  Note: Percentages may not add exactly to 100% due to rounding.

Note: Total includes all heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender respondents. Total also include an over-sample of gay/lesbian respondents.

Methodology

Harris Interactive conducted the study online within the United States between November 13 and 20, 2006, among 2,541 adults (ages 18 and over), of whom 2,205 indicated they are heterosexual and 267 self-identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual (this includes an over-sample of gays and lesbians). Figures for age, sex, race, education, region, income and amount of time spent online were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions with the online adult population. In addition, the results for the gay, lesbian and bisexual sample were weighted separately based on profiles of the gay lesbian and bisexual online populations that Harris Interactive has compiled through many different online surveys.

All surveys are subject to several sources of error. These include: sampling error (because only a sample of a population is interviewed); measurement error due to question wording and/or question order, deliberately or unintentionally inaccurate responses, nonresponse (including refusals), interviewer effects (when live interviewers are used) and weighting.

With one exception (sampling error) the magnitude of the errors that result cannot be estimated. There is, therefore, no way to calculate a finite "margin of error" for any survey and the use of these words should be avoided.

With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With a pure probability sample of 2,541 one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/-2 percentage points. Sampling error for the sub-sample of heterosexuals would be +/-2 percentage points, and for the sub-sample of gays and lesbians +/-7 percentage points. However that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

About Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc.

Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. (http://www.witeckcombs.com/) is the nation's premier strategic marketing communications firm, specializing in reaching the gay and lesbian consumer market. With over nine years experience in this unique market, Witeck-Combs Communications has developed respected relationships throughout the community and serves as a bridge between corporate America and gay and lesbian consumers. In April 2003, American Demographics magazine identified Bob Witeck and Wes Combs as two of 25 experts over the last 25 years who have made significant contributions to the fields of demographics, market research, media and trend-spotting for their path- breaking work on the gay and lesbian market. Combs and Witeck are also the authors of "Business Inside Out: Tapping Millions of Brand-Loyal Gay Consumers" (Kaplan Publishing, September 2006).

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides research-driven insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in France and through a global network of independent market research firms. The service bureau, HISB, provides its market research industry clients with mixed-mode data collection, panel development services as well as syndicated and tracking research consultation. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at http://www.harrisinteractive.com/.

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at http://go.hpolsurveys.com/PR.

  Press Contacts:

  Shameka Lloyd                            Michelle Soto
  Witeck-Combs Communications              Harris Interactive
  202-887-0500 x25                         585-214-7665
  slloyd@witeckcombs.com                   msoto@harrisinteractive.com