Are you ready for the least shocking revelation of the year? Do you often wonder what kind of information people will do polls on, that actually don't need a poll conducted? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you will appreciate a new Pew (News - Alert) Polling Center study that found that a large majority of Americans use their social networking site to connect with … wait for it … friends and family. 

This is not exactly the kind of study that might surprise anyone. In fact, the Pew poll seems to closely mirror an earlier study that shows that a growing population of adults are logging on to social networking sites. Communication in the 21st Century has changed in a very fundamental way. While most people used to write letters and pick up the phone in order to stay in contact, technological advances have made those formats a thing of the past. While some people only use Facebook (News - Alert) to make sure everyone knows there's a party going on, others use it as a lifeline to friends or family who long ago moved away.

This newly released Pew poll shows that two-thirds of respondents use social networking in order to stay in contact with their friends and family. What is interesting is that the majority of Americans, no matter their income level or age, sex or race, all claim that reason. That doesn't mean that all groups have the same level of activity. While 72 percent of women say they use sites like Facebook and Twitter (News - Alert) to stay in touch, 55 percent of men make the same claim. 

According to the poll, more Americans ages 18-49 use social networking to talk to their friends more than those who are over the age of 50. Meanwhile, 84 percent of respondents said that they do not use sites like Twitter or MySpace (News - Alert) or LinkedIn to find romance. A small percentage (11 percent) said they use social networking in order to follow and interact with celebrities.