MediaPost | The Social Graf

Young Celebs Knock Social Media

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:12:58 -0400

I don't normally write about what celebrities are saying or doing, because I frankly don't care. But there's no denying there are plenty of people who do care, a lot, including the teens and young adults who drive trends in entertainment, style, and media technology. They might not listen to their parents, their teachers, their doctors, law enforcement officials, or anyone else wielding anything resembling authority -- but for better or worse, they do listen to celebrities.

Rise in Plastic Surgery Attributed to Social Media

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:32:50 -0400

Social media seems to be driving an increase in plastic surgery, according to an annual survey of 752 members of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery conducted in 2012.

One in Three Social Marketers Dissatisfied with Results

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:38:21 -0400

One in three marketers who use social media for advertising say they aren't satisfied with the results, according to a new report from Kenshoo Social, based on a survey of 105 social media advertisers who spend more than $100,000 per year on social ads. Out of this group 69 (66%) said they were satisfied with social media ad performance, versus 36 (34%) who felt it wasn't delivering.

Younger Investment Pros Get Info from Social Media

Tue, 14 May 2013 16:00:18 -0400

Younger investment professionals are more likely to use social media as a source of information for investment decisions, according to a survey of 120 stockbrokers, financial and market analysts, financial advisors, individual traders and fund managers conducted by Marketwired.

Moms Stressed Out by Pinterest

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:06:50 -0400

While Pinterest might seem like a place for caring and sharing, the female-dominated social network is actually stressing a lot of users out, according to a Today.com survey of 7,000 U.S. mothers: in fact, 42% of respondents said they suffer from "Pinterest stress," stemming from anxiety that they can't live up to the ideal suggested by images of domestic perfection posted on the site.

Social Media Makes It Harder to Move On When Relationships End

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:49:08 -0400

Whether you are dumped or the dumper, most people will readily agree that it's difficult to move on from a failed relationship. It turns out we may be making it even harder on ourselves with social media, which has a way of constantly shoving painful reminders in your face in the form of photos, messages and the like. And for those inclined to wallow -- and I think we've all probably been there at one time or another -- social media is a virtual treasure trove of mementos suitable for morose, unshowered contemplation.

Terrorism Study Examines Self-Radicalization via Social Media

Thu, 09 May 2013 15:30:48 -0400

The Canadian government is funding a study that will examine how individuals embrace radical ideologies leading to acts of terrorism under the influence of social media. The study, led by Canadian defense analyst and researcher Arnav Manchanda, is being funded by a grant from the Kanishka Project, a memorial foundation set up to honor the victims of a terrorist attack that downed an Air India plane, killing 329 people, in 1985.

Small Biz Embracing Social Marketing; Location-Based, Not So Much

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:18:30 -0400

Small businesses have embraced social media marketing in a big way, but aren't nearly as keen on location-based social media like Foursquare, according to a new survey from Constant Contact, which provides digital marketing services to small biz owners.

Woman Facebook Stalks Self to Frame Ex's New Girlfriend

Tue, 07 May 2013 15:42:00 -0400

Oh, what a tangled web we weave in pursuit of love! Or maybe not that tangled; actually, just stupid. Ahem. Oh what a stupid web we weave in pursuit of love! One Cheryl Nelson, 52, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been arrested and charged with stalking herself on Facebook in an attempt to frame her ex-boyfriend's new love interest.

Nine Out of Ten Execs Use LinkedIn

Mon, 06 May 2013 14:43:00 -0400

Roughly nine out of ten (88%) business executives use LinkedIn "often" or "very often," according to a survey of 139 suits by DHR International, a corporate headhunting and management consultancy, as reported by BusinessNewsDaily. What's more, 73% said that LinkedIn is their favorite social network, leaving Facebook and Twitter in the dust.

Social Media Use Can Cause Marital Dissatisfaction

Fri, 03 May 2013 15:34:14 -0400

While social media offers obvious benefits in terms of meeting potential spouses, it can also pose a threat to marital stability, according to a study of 24,000 married people by the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford. The study examined the impact of "media multiplexity," or the ability for individuals to communicate via multiple platforms, on married relationships. The theory holds that the more ways people have to communicate, the stronger their relationships should be. However the study discovered a contradictory phenomenon, as additional communication channels not only failed to correlate with greater marital satisfaction, but actually seemed to correlate with dissatisfaction.

Making Facebook Friends by Clinking Glasses

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:53:24 -0400

The process of making Facebook friends promises to get even easier (and possibly a lot more superficial and promiscuous) with the invention of the "Buddy Cup," which incorporates a microchip and QR code to let you friend someone simply by bumping glasses with them.

New Social Nets for Families Launch

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:18:22 -0400

With parental concerns about privacy and predators unlikely to go away anytime soon (and kids' aversion to being seen with their parents an eternal truth), there is a lot to recommend private social networks intended just for families. Recently two more social networks for families launched: SocialParent and Save The Mom.

Six Out of Ten Smartphone Owners Check Facebook Every Day

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:48:38 -0400

Rumors of Facebook's demise (which I have admittedly helped circulate on occasion) may be somewhat exaggerated, judging by data showing that the social leviathan dominates mobile usage, with key engagement metrics still trending upwards.

Obama "Hates" Social Media? Sure, We All Do

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:30:46 -0400

The Internets got into a tizzy over the weekend over one NBC political director and White House correspondent Chuck Todd's reaction to President Obama's jokes about social media at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Here's a sample one-liner of the presidential wit and wisdom: "I remember when BuzzFeed was just something I did in college around 2 a.m.

Nine Out of Ten Moms Use Social Media

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:17:23 -0400

Mothers of young children, including new and expecting moms, are more likely than the general public to use social media, according to the 2013 Social Mom Report from BabyCenter.com, based on a survey of 1,480 online adults conducted jointly with comScore.

Fake AP Tweet Rattles Stock Market

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:26:47 -0400

By now it should be clear to everyone that social media, in addition to its many remarkable qualities, also holds dangerous potential for spreading misinformation and causing panic. In the latest such incident, hackers who gained access to the Associated Press Twitter account caused a short (but sharp) sell-off on the stock market with a fake tweet about an explosion at the White House.

San Francisco Plans Social Network for Emergencies

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:26:53 -0400

Social media's extraordinary versatility makes it a perfect channel for communication during emergencies: social platforms allow the authorities to disseminate important news and information while connecting ordinary people to each other, enabling collective responses and sharing of resources. With that in mind, the city government of San Francisco is creating a social network Web site and app specifically for emergencies, according to Mashable, which reported the news last week.

Kids Who Use Social Media Want To Be Famous

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:30:02 -0400

Kids who use social media tend to be more interested in becoming famous than peers who don't use social media, according to a new study by researchers at UCLA's Children's Digital Media Center, first reported in USA Today.

Sometimes You Should Just Keep Your Mouth Shut

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:15:44 -0400

One of the most dangerous misconceptions in marketing and life in general -- let's call it the "fallacy of utility" -- is the notion that just because you have a tool that does X, you should always be using that tool to do X, because otherwise you aren't getting the full value of the tool. One variant of this is the old adage that when you own a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Social Media Is for Catharsis

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:29:21 -0400

The rise of social media is nowhere more evident than in the way we deal with tragedies like Monday's bombing at the Boston Marathon, which killed three and injured hundreds. No surprise, the overall effect of this communications revolution is one of magnification and amplification, as reactions which in a previous era would have remained submerged, private, or local can now be shared with the world. In fact, whatever social media's effects in terms of disseminating news and information, this function -- simply allowing ordinary people to express our feelings in upsetting, disorienting times -- may be its biggest benefit.

Docs Shouldn't "Friend" Patients

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:46:39 -0400

While it's taken for granted that most consumer-facing companies should have a presence on social media, and the same goes for many professionals, that's not the case for one key group. Physicians should not "friend" or otherwise contact their patients via social media, according to a policy paper on guidelines from the American College of Physicians and Federation of State Medical Boards, titled "Online Medical Professionalism: Patient and Public Relationships."

College Freshmen Women Use Media 12 Hours a Day

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:43:51 -0400

"According to a new study, freshmen women spend nearly half their day -- 12 hours -- engaged in some form of media use, particularly texting, music, the Internet and social networking." - ScienceDaily.com, April 11, 2013

Social Media Users Getting Ruder

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:47:45 -0400

If you feel like the general tone of social media has taken a turn for the nasty in recent years, you're not alone: according to an online survey of 2,698 people conducted in February by VitalSmarts, 78% of respondents said they have perceived an increase in rude behavior online, and 76% said they have witnessed arguments between other people over social media.

Half of Americans Use Social Media In the Can

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:37:05 -0400

Have you ever wondered how many of the tweets and status updates you see on social media every day were composed when the author was on the toilet? No? Well perhaps you should start, because it is probably a pretty big number.

Social Media Transforms Sobriety Checkpoints

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:08:42 -0400

Of all the institutions threatened, or at least disrupted, by the advent of social media, one that I never would have guessed (but should have, in retrospect) is the sobriety checkpoint. It turns out social media had made the job of law enforcement quite a bit more difficult when it comes to catching drunk drivers, because drivers can share the information on social media via their mobile phones (another driving no-no).

Cartel Threats Silence Mexican Blog

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:57:53 -0400

One of the most popular blogs documenting Mexico's drug war, Valor por Tamaulipas (Bravery for Tamaulipas), closed down this week after threats of violence against the owner. That means one less source of information for Mexicans concerned about the drug war, as many professional journalists have already been silenced by similar threats.

NYPD Credits Social Media for Huge Gang Bust

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:16:27 -0400

New York City's gang members don't seem to be catching on to the fact that much of their social media activity is visible to New York City's finest -- that, or they just don't care. In the latest example of criminal stupidity or indifference, New York City police said they have arrested 63 alleged members of three gangs for various crimes including three murders, around three dozen shootings, and gun trafficking, after gang members boasted of their exploits on social media.

Search for Kony Suspended

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:06:40 -0400

Ugandan troops and roughly 100 advisors from U.S. Special Forces have suspended their search for Joseph Kony, the infamous leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, in the Central African Republic, following the overthrow of that country's government by another rebel group.

Social Media Boosts Workplace Productivity

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:01:50 -0400

Although evil bosses love to hate social media, it turns out the extra communication capabilities conferred by social media can raise workplace productivity. That's according to a new study of technology companies in the U.K., Germany, and Finland, conducted by researchers at the U.K.'s Warwick University Business School.