Los Angeles - More than 70% of Americans ages 15-34 are actively using online social networks, spending on average more than seven hours per week on such websites and driving the growth of overall time spent online, according to a report commissioned by MySpace, Isobar and Carat USA and conducted by market research firms TRU, TNS and Marketing Evolution.

The online survey of 3,000 U.S. Internet users found that 69% use social networks to connect with existing friends, and 41% said they use them to connect with family members.

The survey also found 40% of all social networkers said they use social networking sites to learn more about brands or products that they like, with 28% saying that at some point a friend has recommended a brand or product to them.

Brands such as Adidas and Electronic Arts attributed more than 70% of their marketing return on investment to the word-of-mouth or pass-along effect of a brand within a social network.

"Marketers are beginning to truly understand how to activate the communities that exist within social networking environments," said Isobar president Sarah Fay.

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