Analysis of social computing applications in the EU

This document provides an empirical analysis of the creation, use, and adoption of social computing applications. It finds that content creation in social computing has grown substantially, with millions of blogs, podcasts, wiki pages, and other user-generated content. Usage of social computing applications has also increased greatly, with billions of minutes spent listening to podcasts and hours engaged in social networking and online gaming each month. While early adopters of social computing tended to be younger, more affluent, and more educated, usage has expanded to broader demographic groups over time. The rapid growth of mobile devices has also driven increased adoption of social computing on those platforms.