A new study by the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project shows that 54% of internet users have posted original photos or videos to websites and 47% share photos or videos they found elsewhere online.
The mobile landscape has also added to photo- and video-sharing. Apps like Snapchat and Instagram have capitalized on the ubiquity of cell phones and smartphones that make it simple to upload and share images. Some 9% of cell phone owners use Snapchat and 18% use Instagram. This is the first time the Pew Internet Project has asked cell owners about Snapchat and Instagram.
“Sharing photos and videos online adds texture, play, and drama to people’s interactions in their social networks,” said Pew Internet’s Maeve Duggan, author of a report on the new findings. “Pictures document life from a special angle, whether they relate to small moments, personal milestones, or larger news and events. Mobile connectivity has brought these visuals into countless lives in real-time. This all adds up to a new kind of collective digital scrapbook with fresh forms of storytelling and social bonding.”
A nationally representative survey of 1,000 adults ages 18+ was taken October 3-6, 2013. It was conducted in English on landline and cell phones. The sample contained 852 internet users and 941 cell phone owners. The margin of error for the full sample is +/- 3.7 percentage points. The margin of error for internet users is +/- 4.0 percentage points. The margin of error for cell phone owners is +/- 3.8 percentage points.
