Data from Interpret?s 2010 third-quarter report reveals that mobile social networking is growing at an incredible pace.

The study also found that more than half (52 percent) of tablet owners, including the iPad, are playing games on their device. Gaming is the second most popular activity on these devices, behind only surfing the Internet (58 percent).

?We find one of the most surprising findings to be the sharp ascent of Netflix as a streaming option,? said Josh Bell, vice president and director of strategy at Interpret, Santa Monica, CA. ?The fact that it is the second most popular site for streaming movies or TV is a testament that their content acquisitions may be paying off. 

?This is a paid subscription service that eclipses the major network sites such as ABC.com and CBS.com and is behind only Hulu, all of which are free streaming options,? he said. ?Their success is obviously a thorn in the side to many of the cable companies, as you've probably seen from interviews with people such as Jeffrey Bewkes of Time Warner.?

Mobile media usage
Active gamers are more likely than the average consumer to plan on purchasing an iPad or other tablet in the next three months.

Social networking continues to invade the new-media landscape, as an increasing number of consumers are spending more time on social networks than ever before. 

The mobile phone is becoming a particularly popular access point, with a 12 percent jump in social networking activity since last quarter. 

Not surprisingly, smartphone users are especially enthusiastic mobile social networkers, with almost half (45 percent) of them accessing a social network through their phone.

Mobile social networking appears to be increasing for a simple reason ? smartphone use has been steadily growing over the past year. 

Interpret?s New Media Measure study data shows that among mobile phone users, smartphone owners have grown about 29 percent, from 24 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 to 31 percent in the third quarter of 2010. 

The growth in social networking on mobile phones is mainly due to the fact that in the third quarter, 46 percent of smartphone owners accessed a social network through an application on their phone.

?Let me throw out a few things that Interpret thinks will dominate the mobile space in the next year,? Mr. Bell said. ?The first is 4G, which we'll see the effects of as more carriers begin to roll out these networks. 

?The second is the proliferation of more and cheaper smartphones ? as I mentioned smartphone penetration is increasing, and as the prices of phones and data plans decreases, smartphone usage could rise dramatically over the next year,? he said.  

?Finally, tablets ? the iPad is obviously selling well, and there is certainly a rush from Samsung, Microsoft and others to release tables in the upcoming months. We're curious to see how this technology impacts the mobile space over the course of the year.?

Dan Butcher reported for this story.