The graph shows the percentages of Internet users in different age groups who participated in various online activities in 2007....
GMAT Graphics Interpretation : (GI) Questions
The graph shows the percentages of Internet users in different age groups who participated in various online activities in 2007. Publishing web pages, writing blogs, and uploading videos is considered creating primary content, but content created on social networking sites is not considered primary content.
For each of the following, use the drop-down menu to create the most accurate statement on the basis of the information provided.
Owning the Dataset
Table 1: Text Analysis
| Text Component | Literal Content | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Data Focus | The graph shows the percentages of Internet users in different age groups who participated in various online activities in 2007. | The data records how many people in each age group did various online activities in 2007. |
| Definition of Primary Content | Publishing web pages, writing blogs, and uploading videos is considered creating primary content. | Creating original web pages, blogs, or videos counts as making primary content. |
| Exclusion Statement | Content created on social networking sites is not considered primary content. | Posts/content on social networking sites are not included as primary content. |
Table 2: Chart Analysis
| Chart Aspect | Description | Observations |
|---|---|---|
| Chart Type | Line graph with 6 activity series | Lets us compare 6 online activities across age groups |
| X-axis | Age groups (12-17, 18-21, 22-26, 27-40, 41-50, 51-61, 62+) | Range covers teens to 62+ |
| Y-axis | Percent of users in each age group (0-80%) | Shows what percent of each age group did each activity |
| Social Networking Use | Highest for ages 18-21 (\(\sim\mathrm{70\%}\)), lowest for 62+ (\(\mathrm{7\%}\)) | Steep decline with age |
| Aggregate/Repost Activity | \(\mathrm{11-18\%}\) for all ages | Consistently low; never above \(\mathrm{20\%}\) |
| No Social Media Use | Increases with age (\(\mathrm{34\%}\) for youngest, \(\mathrm{70\%}\) for oldest) | More common among older groups |
Key Insights
- Social networking site use declines steeply with age, peaking at about \(\mathrm{70\%}\) for young adults (18-21) and dropping to only \(\mathrm{7\%}\) for those 62 or older.
- Aggregate/repost content creation is consistently low (never exceeding \(\mathrm{18\%}\)) across all age groups.
- Non-use of social media rises steadily as age increases, with a majority of internet users over 41 choosing not to participate in social media by 2007.
Step-by-Step Solution
Question 1: Social Networking Usage Among 62+ Social Media Users
Complete Statement:
In 2007, of the Internet users 62 years old or older who used one or more forms of social media, approximately [BLANK] percent used social networking sites.
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: Internet users 62 years old or older
- Meaning: Focuses specifically on the 62+ age group presented in the chart.
- Relation to Chart: Requires extracting data only for the 62+ group.
- Important Implications: All calculations pertain only to the users in the 62+ category.
- Statement Breakdown 2:
- Key Phrase: who used one or more forms of social media
- Meaning: Refers only to those 62+ users who used social media, excluding those who used none.
- Relation to Chart: We must subtract out the percentage who 'use no social media' in this age group.
- Important Implications: We are working with a subgroup of the total 62+ users.
What is needed: What percent of the 62+ social media users used social networking sites in 2007.
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation:
Determine the percent of social media users (62+) who used social networking sites by dividing the percent using social networking sites by the percent using any social media. - Necessary Data points:
In 62+: \(\mathrm{70\%}\) used no social media, \(\mathrm{7\%}\) used social networking sites.- Calculations Estimations:
\(\mathrm{30\%}\) (\(\mathrm{100\% - 70\%}\)) of 62+ used some social media. \(\mathrm{7\%}\) used social networking sites. Therefore, \(\mathrm{7\% ÷ 30\% = 23\%}\). - Comparison to Answer Choices:
\(\mathrm{23\%}\) is closest to \(\mathrm{20\%}\) among the given choices (6, 8, 20, 30).
- Calculations Estimations:
FINAL ANSWER Blank 1: 20
Question 2: Activities Below 20% for All Age Groups
Complete Statement:
The graph most clearly indicates that in 2007 less than 20 percent of all Internet users over the age of 11 [BLANK]
Breaking Down the Statement
- Statement Breakdown 1:
- Key Phrase: less than 20 percent
- Meaning: Looking for an activity that never exceeds \(\mathrm{20\%}\) participation in any age group.
- Relation to Chart: Requires checking percentage participation in each listed activity for all age groups.
- Statement Breakdown 2:
- Key Phrase: all Internet users over the age of 11
- Meaning: Includes all age groups from 12 upwards as per the chart.
- Relation to Chart: Need to look at every age group's percentages for each activity to meet the criterion.
What is needed: Which activity never reaches \(\mathrm{20\%}\) participation in any age group.
Solution:
- Condensed Solution Implementation:
Review each activity's participation percentages in every age group for values below \(\mathrm{20\%}\). - Necessary Data points:
From the chart, 'aggregate and repost content' ranges from \(\mathrm{11\%}\) to \(\mathrm{18\%}\) across all age groups.- Calculations Estimations:
'Aggregate and repost content' is always below \(\mathrm{20\%}\). Other activities (e.g. 'create content') exceed \(\mathrm{20\%}\) in some age groups. - Comparison to Answer Choices:
Only 'aggregate and repost content' satisfies the requirement of being below \(\mathrm{20\%}\) across all age groups.
- Calculations Estimations:
FINAL ANSWER Blank 2: Aggregate and repost content
Summary
Both questions require careful reading and interpretation of the graph. Question 1 involves calculating a proportion within a subset (62+ social media users and those among them using social networking sites), while Question 2 involves visually verifying which activity stayed under \(\mathrm{20\%}\) participation for all age groups. For both, following the data and logical steps directly led to the correct answers.
Question Independence Analysis
The questions are independent. Question 1 concerns calculating a specific percentage for one age group, while Question 2 is about identifying a trend across all age groups. No information from one is required to answer the other.