Facebook and Twitter use rises among adults as social networking via mobile phones increases

• 44 per cent of adults have accessed Facebook and Youtube in the past three months

• 82 per cent of Twitter users own a smartphone; 69 per cent of Facebook users have access to a smartphone

• General trend shows social networking via mobiles increasing

The Ipsos Mori poll found that 44 per cent of adults have accessed Facebook and YouTube while 13 per cent have used the two sites.

The survey also shows that there has been an increase in the amount of users of social networks who access the sites via a mobile network to keep connected.

Between January 2010 and April 2012 there was an increase of almost 10 per cent in the number of adults who access social network sites through their mobile phones.

Some 82 per cent of all Twitter users own a smartphone, whilst 69 per cent of people visiting Facebook also have access to a smartphone.

Gavin Sugden, director of Ipsos MediaCT stated that the need to be on a social network when out of the house has increased the number of users accessing such sites via a mobile network.

“Many of us like to have our social networks at our fingertips no matter where we are. We are accessing social networking sites on a number of different devices, ranging from PCs, smartphones, tablets, connected TVs, and a minority via their games console.

“69 per cent of those accessing Facebook have a smartphone which starts to explain the proliferation of social networking usage whilst out and about, feeding the insatiable appetite to broadcast, and keep connected with others.”

There was also a rise, followed by a subsequent decline in PC and laptop users accessing similar sites. The percentage peaked in April 2011 (41 per cent) and has since levelled out at 37 per cent in 2012. That figure is higher than in January 2010, when it was 35 per cent .