We all know that social media plays a huge part in our day to day life and the world as we known it. But did you know that according to statistics men and women actually use social media quite differently? Not only do men and women tend to be drawn to different forms of social media, but studies show they also seem to post very different content.

Interestingly enough, men are more likely than women to use social media as a way to search for new information and start new relationships. On the other hand, women tend to use social media as a way of keeping up with and connecting with people they already know.

In terms of the various forms of social media, more visual platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram tend to draw more female users. In addition, men usually prefer more text oriented forms of social media like Reddit or Digg.

It’s no secret that social media plays a pretty big role in our social lives whether we realize it or not. A study by Pew Research Center examined the ways teenage males and females utilize social media and found pronounced differences. One quarter of the teenagers studied said they had gained more over 5 different friendships through social media. However, many of these friendships stayed solely online. Although 57% of the teens reported having started friendships online, only 20% of those teens said they met an online friend in real life.

The differences don’t stop there. It’s been shown that males and females communicate differently on social media as well. John Hopkins conducted a study where they observed the language of both male and female Twitter users. They discovered that women are more likely to use excessive punctuation and exclamatory language. Expressions such as “Omg” or “lol” are also more associated with women than men.

How do you use social media? Next time you're scrolling through Instagram or typing up a tweet, consider these gender differences in social media utilization.