New data tell us that in the last quarter, 43% of Internet users visited social networking sites–that’s nearly 1 in 2!

Nearly 50% of women and more than 37% of men went to social networking sites.  And the age data are among the most interesting:  While it might not surprise us that more than 70% of under-35 Internet users ventured into these sites, it’s more surprising that more than 43% of  Internet users between the ages of 35 and 54 ventured into social networking sites and nearly 19%–close to 1 in 5–of users over the age of 55 did so.

When we consider that much of the growth in the labor force is expected to come in the over-55 age group, the increasing use of social networking sites by older Internet users becomes even more important for online marketers.

These data, which come from the Consumer Internet Barometer, underscore the growing importance of these sites and remind us all that marketers simply cannot afford to ignore them.

And, as an aside, the Consumer Internet Barometer is a great source of data on online trends!