To be able to participate in learning through social media individuals must be using social media in the first place. The 2011 Oxford Internet Survey, an ongoing survey of UK Internet usage and attitudes, found that 60 per cent of internet users and 62 per cent of employed internet users reported using social networking sites (Dutton and Blank 2011: 34). Usage is highest amongst younger adults (between 18 and 34) but growth in the uptake of social media by those between age 25 and 65 is, the authors suggest, consistent with the rise of the use of social networks amongst employed people (Dutton and Blank 2011: 36). The survey does not directly address learning in social media, however, many participants indicated that they “receive information” through social media with the percentage varying linearly by educational level: 42% of those with no education; 58% of those with basic education; 72% of those with further education; and 78% of those with higher education (Dutton and Blank 2011: 35).
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