Social network sites more popular than e-mail...even among Boomers

If you don't have a Facebook page yet, better get one. In February, people used social network sites more than they used Web-based e-mail for the first time ever. That's on page six of the just-released report "The Global Online Media Landscape" from the TV-ratings company Nielsen.

Now Boomers, don't roll your eyes. It's not just the GenYers spending all their time doing social networking -- Nielsen data found that the Facebook audience is getting older at a steady pace. On his blog PR 2.0, public-relations agent Kevin Solis lists the highlights of a Nielsen report from March. Last year, Facebook added 13.6 million visitors ages 50 to 64, twice the number of visitors under 18 (7.3 million). Now, almost one third of its global membership is ages 35 to 59, and one quarter is over age 50.

While these Nielsen reports are targeted to the advertising and marketing industries, this data is relevant to you, too. More Internet communication is being sent via Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.