Probably the most comprehensive study along these lines was Global Faces and Networked Places , released by Neilsen in March 2009. Social networks and blogs are the fastest growing application, now exceeding email with a participation rate of 66.8%. Digging a little deeper within the social media category, the women’s blogger community BlogHer reported in its 2009 Women and Social Media Study that as of March 2009, 75% of women participated in social networks, compared with 55% who read blogs, 40% read message boards or forums, and 16% update status on platforms like Twitter.