In a report that chiefly underscores that the social media sector is apparently reaching "maturity" in some countries, a new report by research firm Gartner has revealed that early adopters of social networks have started showing signs of something called “social media fatigue,” which is becoming evident from their restlessness as well as their short attention span.

The report was based on the findings of a Gartner survey that included 6,295 participants – aged between 13 and 74 years -, who were questioned about their use of and opinions about social media sites.

The participants’ responses to the questions – which were aimed at examining usage trends of the social media, and users’ enthusiasm about it, across 11 countries – highlighted that most of them had already started showing signs of social media “fatigue.”

Going by the findings of the survey, nearly 24 percent of the respondents said that, overall, they now use their favourite social media sites, like Facebook, less often than what they did when they first joined these sites --- a situation which reveals that the users now have a more "practical" view of technology.

In the US, the UK, and Japan, nearly 40 percent of consumers access such sites less frequently than was originally the case. In addition, 31 percent of consumers, which Gartner described as "aspirers" - or young, mobile and brand-conscious people - were apparently growing "bored" with social networks.

Noting that “the trend shows some social media fatigue among early adopters,” Gartner research director Brian Blau said that the situation needs to be carefully monitored by social media providers because “they will need to innovate and diversify to keep consumer attention.”