Social Networking Anonymous

How attached are you to your phone?

Social networking is becoming an addiction. A company released a new Gadgetology report which drew some interesting conclusions from a relatively small study in the US. The most disturbing results were from users who don’t mind being interrupted by social messaging. 18% said that they check electronic messages during sex.

Over half of those surveyed check their social networks, like Facebook and Twitter as soon as they wake up in the morning. They also found that 26% of people do so before they get out of bed. In fact, nearly a third of iPhone users check their social networks while they are still in bed in the morning.

The survey found that while 86% of social media users don’t need to check their Facebook accounts everyday; about 29% can’t go for more than a few hours without logging on to Facebook.

Market Research

These kinds of studies show how we use social media and to what extent. Studies in South Africa which could show news producers and the like, how people consume content, could be incredibly important for getting a foothold in the market as it emerges.

South African producers need to start catching up on audience surveys and studies and determine whether they are offering the right products for their audiences.

Studies like MWeb’s Friendship 2.0 have shown that only 12% of the representative sample don’t use any social networks; and 82% use Facebook. The study also suggests that 84% of internet use happens in the home.

The addiction study, although probably more relevant to the US market where bandwidth is cheaper and internet connectivity quicker than here in South Africa, does show a trend developing. This could mean that not only will your friends be popping out of bed before their morning coffees to check up on your Facebook updates, but they may even start IM-ing you from the most awkward of places.

Here’s hoping that South African media consumers know when to stop.