eMarketer estimates that this year, there will be 180.3 million social network users in the US, equating to nearly seven in 10 internet users and 56.1% of the country’s total population. Chances are a decent portion of this group will post or share something they regret during 2015, based on recent research.
In July 2015 polling by YouGov Omnibus, about three in 10 US social media users reported regretting sending a text or social media message more than once per year or more frequently, with the large majority of this group voicing regrets about sending such messages monthly, weekly or daily. Fewer than four in 10 respondents never regretted sending a text or social media message such as a comment on a comment board, text or tweet.
Males were slightly more likely to regret sharing information monthly or more often, at 25% vs. 22%, while among age groups, millennials admitted to the most accidents at that frequency. More than one-third of black respondents regretted sending a text or social message monthly or more often, vs. 29% of Hispanics and fewer than one-fifth of whites. Household income played less of a role, with those making $80,000 or more slightly less likely to voice regrets, while parents with children under 18 were 10 percentage points more likely than those without to admit posts were an accident at least monthly.
Frequency with Which US Internet Users Post* on Social Media, March 2015 (% of respondents)
March 2015 polling by AYTM Market Research found that overall, the majority of US internet users posted on social media a few times a month or more often, while just one-fifth had never shared posts or added a photo or video.
Courtesy of eMarketer
