It's Official: Majority of Americans Are on Facebook

The dawn of the 21st century has bid farewell to pen and paper communications and opened the door to digital pokes, likes and status updates.

If you don't know what those terms means, there's a good chance you're now in the minority of Americans who have not logged on to Facebook, the world's most popular social media website. According to a new national survey, 51 percent of Americans have logged time creating a personal profile on Facebook.

Edison Research reports:

According to the upcoming report from Arbitron, Inc. and Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2011: Navigating Digital Platforms, more than half of all Americans ages 12 and older are on Facebook. The study, fielded in January of 2011, indicates that 51% of all adults 12+ have profiles on this dominant site.

We have been tracking the growth of Facebook since 2008, and have watched it go from 8% usage just three years ago, to 51% today. In our presentation on April 5th you will also see the remarkable year-over-year growth of Facebook users especially among people over age 35, trends on frequency of usage, and the uptake of social networking on mobile phones.

In the few years its been around, Facebook has changed the way people around the world interact. It's one of the only places you can be "friends" with people you haven't spoken to in years -- and many you've never even met.

Relationships are now defined in terms like single, married and "it's complicated."

"Tagging" horrible pictures of your friends has become a notorious method of payback.

On a global scale, Facebook has also helped to reshape nations as pro-democracy messages reach millions with just the click of a mouse.

Facebook has even made its mark on American politics.  Don't think so?  Just ask former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin who routinely uses the social medium to interact directly with both her fans and the media, posting reactions to the world's hot-button news items on her own profile. Additionally, the modern tea party movement was practically born on Facebook when individuals began to organize meetings and events in their local communities with like-minded friends.

If you're one of the 51 percent of Americans now on Facebook, click over and "friend" The Blaze!