Internet Psychologist
Ask most advertisers and they’ll tell you they are really trying to reach people around 25-35 years old. Why? Well, they are the people with most disposable income and most likely to spend money. True enough, it does depend on the product you are selling – few young people are …
Two new studies suggest that businesses need to be doing more on social networks. Indeed, most businesses appear to be ignoring social networks, believing them to be the preserve of students. However, a study by the brand strategy consultancy Cone has found that a whopping 93% of people want businesses …
Social networkers who form groups, clubs and the like, often worry that they are not getting enough participation. They point to the fact that even though many people may have registered, few take part. Indeed, there are social networking clubs and forums dedicated to helping club owners increase their participant …
More evidence has been published which shows that big business has failed to grasp the value of the social web. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts discovered that the social web has not caught on in the big corporates. Technologies such as blogging appear to have passed them by. The …
Facebook is seeking a jury trial in the USA to get a German web site shut down. Shall I repeat that? It does sound stupid doesn’t it, but as various news services have reported, Facebook is taking the German site StudiVZ to court. In essence, StudiVZ is a German social …
Teenagers who have grown up with the Internet as part of their world are facing a potential danger, according to a paper presented at today’s Annual Meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. According to Dr Himansu Tyagi, from London, social networking sites could lead to identity problems in some …
Women are natural social networkers; indeed the stereotype of “chatty” women (false as it is) suggests that the world of social networking is a natural place for women to go online. And you wouldn’t be wrong. A new analysis of more than 50 million social networking members shows that women …
Friends are people we share common interests with, who have the same values and morals, who cheer us up when we are down and who truly understand us. At least that’s what we would like to think. However, new research from psychologists in Leipzig shows that friendships are actually down …
People gravitate towards people like themselves. We all love people like us; anyone who is a bit different we tend to shy away from. It’s the same online – we tend to “hang out” in groups and clubs in places like Facebook and Ecademy where the people we meet are …
Researchers at the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California have just published their report on the consequences and benefits of children going online. However, embedded within the report are some interesting facts that every online business needs to think about. Firstly, the annual study shows …
Some people are avid social networkers and build up huge numbers of “connections” and “friends” online. Take a look at Thomas Power, the Chairman of Ecademy, for instance. He has over 15,000 contacts in Ecademy and almost as many in LinkedIn. Does he really know all those people? If you …
A new report for the recruitment industry reveals a massive increase in the number of companies that are banning the use of Facebook at work. The survey shows that seven out of ten companies now have banning orders in place to prevent their staff from using Facebook. That’s double the …
Children are signing up to social networks in their thousands. According to a significant research study by Ofcom half of children over the age of eight have a social networking account and profile. This is in spite of the fact that the networks themselves set an age limit of 13. …
Social networking is still seen as something teenagers do. But it is actually a natural human activity merely taken a technological twist. We are social animals by our very nature, so anything that allows us to socialise online is bound to be successful. And that theory is now being put …
Many businesses are put off social networking sites. They feel that such sites distract staff from getting on with work. They think that social networking sites, like Facebook or MySpace are some kind of security risk for their business. Or they just think these sites are for bored teenagers and …