Digital Business Psychologist
Happy people mix with happy people. Wow – hold the front page…! That’s one of the conclusions to a major study from the University of California and Harvard Medical School, published in today’s British Medical Journal. The researchers looked at people in a particular (offline) social network around Framingham, Massachusetts. …
You have probably never heard of Pownce, yet its name is plastered all over the Internet this morning – including in highly respected publications like the Financial Times. Pownce is a social networking site which has bitten the dust. It has been bought by a blogging company called Six Apart …
Researchers at the Chartered Institute of Management (CIM) are reported to have discovered that most companies are failing to embrace the Internet. Indeed, around one in every eight companies admit to imposing “curfews” on Internet usage, preventing employees from accessing the web at particular hours of the day. Are they …
Look at the statistics for web usage and you soon discover that the most popular web sites in the world are those which are focused on specific brands. Search terms also tell a tale or two about the importance of brand. For instance, the latest figures on search popularity show …
The businessman at the back of the room wasn’t that happy. When I asked an audience of business owners if any of them had used social networking one man at the back put up his hand: “I tried it once but it didn’t do me any good,” he said. In …
How good to see a “major think tank” so up-to-date with thinking….! According to Demos “Bosses should embrace Facebook“. Apparently, says Demos, it could be counter productive to stop staff using Facebook. Now, forgive me a moment while I blow my own trumpet – but isn’t that exactly what I …
Blogging is dead, it seems. Only last month I said that blogging is dying, but the latest view is that blogging is already dead. Interesting then, that all the discussion about whether blogging has had it’s day is taking place in blogs, of all places! The debate has been kicked …
Taking part in social networking could help you live longer – providing you network online with younger people. According to researchers from the University of Iowa there is a genetic basis for a long-known phenomenon – animals that socialise with younger members of their species tend to live longer than …
Wayne Forrester, a 34-year-old lorry driver was from Croydon was jailed for life today after admitting that he killed his wife, Emma. In mitigation he claimed that it was what Emma wrote on Facebook that drove him to his actions. The result is instant headlines like “Facebook killer jailed for …
There appears to be something of a competitive spirit in online social networks. It’s fostered by the fact that Facebook, LinkedIn and Ecademy (amongst others) reveal how many “friends” or “connections” you have. The theory is that you must be worth knowing if you have more connections and friends. Now, …
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 …
Narcissists are people who focus entirely on themselves; they also believe everyone else should focus their attention on them as well…! They are attention seekers who rarely develop any long-term relationships or any deep and meaningful relationships. The trouble is, they are frequently successful. Narcissists tend to be likeable, friendly …
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 …
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 …