Google+ too techy to be social

A new study explains why despite Google+'s massive membership, the social network is more like The Matrix than a metropolis.

A new study explains why despite Google+'s massive membership, the social network is more like The Matrix than a metropolis.

It's been described as a 'ghost town,' a necessary evil for using the company's other services and, most recently, as 'The Matrix' by The Guardian's tech editor Charles Arthur. And now we know why. Google+ is overrun by the IT community.

The Global Web Index study of who or what makes up the majority of the Google+ user base finds that the top 10 user types are headed up by those who 'work in IT, internet or computer services.' Nearly one third (29%) of people who fall into this category are active on the site, closely followed by 25% of those claiming to be 'senior decision makers,' 24% of company owners and 23% of the self-employed.

This could explain why despite having over 540 million active users, things that happen on Google+ stay on Google+. Even though it has more users than Twitter or Pinterest and over half as many as Facebook's 1 billion, between July and September of 2013 the site was responsible for just 3% of all social shares.

On the flip side of the coin, those least likely to engage with Google+ are baby boomers (12%); full-time parents (14%); those in full-time education (14%); the unemployed (15%); and divorcees (15%).

The results are clear. If you've got a question about coding or want to know how to rid your PC of a virus, head to Google+; if you want to discuss the delicate nuances of the latest cat video, stick with Facebook or Tumblr.