With 50+ million active social media users, Indians spend more time on social media than on any other activity on the Internet, according to Nielsen.

New research by NM Incite, a Nielsen/McKinsey Company, explores the reasons U.S. social media users visit social networkings.

Nielsen congratulates the class of 2011 and takes look at today’s American teen, raised in an age dominated by media choices like never before—from the Internet to cable channels to web connected devices galore.

Americans spend nearly a quarter of their time online on social networking sites and blogs, up from 15.8 percent just a year ago (a 43 percent increase) according to new research released today from The Nielsen Company.

With a focus on how brands can listen and learn, Pete Blackshaw, EVP of Digital Strategic Services for Nielsen led a Consumer 360 insight session on the rapidly changing social media landscape.

In April 2007, Social Networks & Blogs accounted for less than nine percent of all UK Internet time, but in three years the sector has grown to account for almost 23 percent of U.K. Internet time.

Compared to user activity on social networking sites last year, Facebook and Twitter posted gains of 69% and 45% respectively in the U.S. Globally, the total minutes spend on social networks monthly saw a more than 100% gain over the same time last year.

With Facebook leading the way and Twitter activity on the rise, Australians are rapidly increasing their participation in social media, content sharing and brand interaction.

Fourteen percent of home Super Bowl viewers with Internet access browsed the web at least once during the big game, up slightly from last year’s 12%.

A study of simultaneous TV and Internet usage found that 12% of Super Bowl viewers last year also spent time on the web, at an average of 24 minutes per user.