Gather.Com Interesting Statistics

This was sent to me from Gather.com and I thought it was interesting and wanted to share it:

Gather, the leading social network to make new friends and form new social circles, and Mom Central Consulting, the premier social media agency specializing in Marketing to Moms, today are releasing the results of a survey conducted to understand moms’ social habits online.

More than 1300 Gather Moms answered an in-depth questionnaire about their online and offline behaviors, as well as attitudes about networking, community connectivity, and sense of self. Mom Central Consulting’s analysis reveals that the majority of Moms (60%) feel lonely and unsupported in their day-to-day lives and have turned online – to social networking sites, community forums and chat rooms – to make new friends.

The results of the survey show that over 60% of Moms have made a new friend online in the last year connecting around shared passions, life stories, and parenting issues. The data also shows that of Moms who’ve made new online friends, over 30% have turned the connection into a lasting offline friendship. 1 in 3 Moms also report sharing things with online friends that they do not share with offline ones.

• 40% of Moms report they do not have a “best friend” or someone with whom they can share everything
• 4 out of 5 Moms feel that they don’t have enough friends in their lives
• 60% of Moms say they have had feelings of loneliness in the past month and report feeling most lonely when their children are under the age of five and again when parenting teens (14-18yrs)
• Over 60% of Moms reported making a new friend online in the past year
• More than a third – 34% – have turned an online friendship into a lasting offline one
• Over 50% of Moms feel they do not get enough support from their spouse
• Less than 50% of Moms surveyed live near any family
• Moms who’ve made friends online have connected most around their shared passions and interests (71%), personal stories (42%), and parenting issues (29%)