Pew study on bloggers

By Cory Doctorow at 7:38 am Wednesday, Jul 19

The amazing Pew Internet Life project has just released a study on blogging in the USA -- it's full of really chunky stats compiled from phone interviews with bloggers: "most bloggers are primarily interested in creative, personal expression -- documenting individual experiences, sharing practical knowledge, or just keeping in touch with friends and family."

* The most distinguishing characteristic of bloggers is their youth. More than half (54%) of bloggers are under the age of 30. Like the internet population in general, however, bloggers are evenly divided between men and women, and more than half live in the suburbs. Another third live in urban areas and a scant 13% live in rural regions.

* Another distinguishing characteristic is that bloggers are less likely to be white than the general internet population. Sixty percent of bloggers are white, 11% are African American, 19% are English-speaking Hispanic and 10% identify as some other race. By contrast, 74% of internet users are white, 9% are African American, 11% are English-speaking Hispanic and 6% identify as some other race...

* 55% of bloggers blog under a pseudonym, and 46% blog under their own name.

* 84% of bloggers describe their blog as either a “hobby” or just “something I do, but not something I spend a lot of time on.”

* 59% of bloggers spend just one or two hours per week tending their blog. One in ten bloggers spend ten or more hours per week on their blog.

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