More Blogs. Same Readers.

Posted on May 2, 2005

Blogspotting reports that new statistics are now available from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The latest information shows continued growth in the number of blogs (no surprise). However, the study found that the number of readers has not changed or even dropped slightly (big surprise). Without more readers the blog surge won't last long, but with many mainstream media outlets now creating blogs the number of readers will hopefully start to pick up. Even so, the study found that 16% (or 1 in 6) of the U.S. population already read blogs. It is possible that some people are reading blogs and do not realize it. The study also provided more data that teenagers and people under the age of 30 do most of the blogging and blog reading.

Blogging is very much the province of the young. Fully 19% of online Americans ages 18-29 have created blogs, compared to 5% of those 50 and older. When it comes to blog reading, online men and women are equally as likely to have browsed the blogosphere. Again, those ages 18-29 are much more likely to have read blogs than their elders: 36% of online younger adults have read blogs compared to 18% of those who use the internet and are 50 and older.