US Hispanics Spending More Time On Social Media Sites

Time spent and social sites visited outpace other US internet user groups

US Hispanics are more active on social media than the average US internet user, and are logging in more frequently to a wider variety of social sites. The February 2012 “American Pulse Survey” from BIG insight of US adult internet usage found that, while greater percentages of black internet users spent larger blocks of time online than the other groups studied, Hispanic internet users spent more of their online time on social media sites. On an average day, 26.8% of Hispanic internet users spent six hours or more on social media sites, while 20.4% of black internet users and only 8.5% of total internet users spent that much time on social sites.

Looking specifically at which sites social-savvy Hispanics were using, the survey found US Hispanics were willing to participate in some newer and smaller social sites, logging in more often to networks like Pinterest, foursquare and LinkedIn, for example, than the average US internet user.

In the case of LinkedIn, 15.5% of US Hispanic internet users logged in to that site at least once a day, compared to 10.9% of black internet users and 4.9% of white ones. And, while 85% of white and 82.7% of black internet users reported not having an account on Pinterest, that number dropped to 71.5% among Hispanic internet users.

As marketers work to reach these active Hispanic internet users, data about which social sites Hispanics prefer and their frequency of use can be key to understanding where and when to connect with these consumers. ~emarketer.com~

Dallas Social Media Scene Reacts To Big Facebook Changes

The social media set here in D-FW are reacting to Facebook’s latest news. Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a big list of key changes to the site and many say it’s going to revolutionize the way we use it.

We attended a mixer for the Social Media Club of Dallas tonight. The room was abuzz with chit chat about Facebook — the consensus was with these changes the site will become and even bigger player on the internet.

“I think what we’re seeing is a major revelation within Facebook, and it’s almost like an entirely new website that’s going to take a lot of time to adapt too,” said Social Media Club Dallas member Alyssa Gadina.

“Every time Facebook changes something we all panic at first and then we get used to it and then we learn how to use it and then it’s great,” said Social Media Club Dallas member Lauren Parajon.

Andrew Turner with Dallas’ Square 1 Agency says the biggest change has to do with a new feature called Timeline.

“A good way to think about Timeline is almost like a digital scrapbook, or digital yearbook, of your life,” said Square 1 Agency Web Specialist Andrew Turner.

Turner says Timeline will allow users to share info in chronological order on their profile pages. He says Facebook felt older information was getting lost as new information continued to come in.

“It brings a more historical approach to all of your updates and everything that you do on Facebook, photos, social interactions, things like that,” said Turner.

Besides Timeline, Turner says the biggest changes have to do with a feature called Open Graph. It revamps how a company’s apps interact with your profile. Any info you share with an app will be cataloged on your profile.

“They’ve kind of targeted and catered towards both the consumer and the company,” said Turner.

Turner says overall Facebook is using your information in a whole new way.

“Facebook is getting smarter, so it’s able to really tell you like to do this, these are things you’ve done in the past and this is what you like,” he said.

While it all might take some getting used too, those in the social media scene say most users will likely stay.

“We’re at the mercy of whatever Facebook does. What are we all gonna go do? Are we gonna migrate to Google Plus? Are we all gonna go to Twitter?” said Social Media Club Dallas President Mike Merrill.

We all know privacy remains a big concerns for most Facebook users. Turner says does include tighter privacy controls, so users can pick and choose what kind of information they want to share with others on the site.

Turner says the changes will likely start to pop up on profiles in the next few weeks.

Young women are ‘power users’ of social media sites

People keep on flocking to sites like Facebook and Twitter, and young women are leading the way.

The percentage of Internet users who are on social-networking sites continues to climb, according to a survey released Friday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

In fact, it has doubled in the past three years, the report says, from about 29% in 2008 to 65% this year.

This year’s Pew report also marks the first time that more than 50% of adults surveyed (Web users and nonusers) use social networking.

In February 2005, 5% of adults told Pew they used social media.

The report calls young adult women the “power users” of social-media sites.

About 89% of online women from 18-29 years old are on the sites and 69% of them say they tend to log onto social media every day.

Overall, 69% of women on the Web said they use social networking, compared to 60% of all men.

Pew said women have been “significantly more likely” to be on social sites than men since 2009.

Only search engines and e-mail remained more popular than social media among Web users, according to the survey

In one question, Pew asked people who have used social-networking to give a one-word description of their experiences.

The responses were overwhelmingly positive, the report said, with one-in-five being negative.

Among positive responses, the top five were: good, fun, great, interesting and convenient.

The most popular negative responses were: boring, confusing, frustrating, time-consuming and overwhelming.

We’re particularly fond, however, of Pew’s list of words that were only mentioned once in a survey of well over 2,000 people.

Our favorites? Hogwash, glitches, omnipresent and nosey. ~ cnn.com ~

Social Media: How much is too much?

Social media has evolved and with each introduction we feel we must join in, adding to our Internet plate that’s already full of Tweets, status updates, check-ins and chats.

A leading researcher says we already spend twice as much of our online time on social networking than on any other activity. With the entry of Google Plus in the field, the overload potential just got higher.

How much is too much? What are the risks? And what does it mean for the future of real face-to-face interaction?

If used correctly, social media can boost your business, your brand, and your social circles. But when it becomes a “social overload” that is when it is time to step back and determine which sites are serving your needs (whether personal or business) in the best way. Other sites may just be a distraction and clutter your inbox. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter appear to be the best “networking” sites at the moment, but Google+ is coming on strong and some think will take the place of facebook soon.

So, when it is time for the kids to graduate from college and get out into this great big world, will they be able to talk to their new employer or co-workers face-to-face? Or will they use faceTime?

Social Media’s Impact on Kids A Mixed Bag

Social media has both risks and benefits to children, according to psychologists who study their effects. And some believe parents’ usual efforts to monitor their child’s online activity are frankly a waste of time.

The comments were presented during the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association.

“While nobody can deny that Facebook has altered the landscape of social interaction, particularly among young people, we are just now starting to see solid psychological research demonstrating both the positives and the negatives,” said Larry D. Rosen, Ph.D., who has done extensive research on the “psychology of technology.”

In a plenary talk entitled, “Poke Me: How Social Networks Can Both Help and Harm Our Kids,” Rosen discussed potential adverse effects, including:

* Teens who use Facebook more often show more narcissistic tendencies while young adults who have a strong Facebook presence show more signs of other psychological disorders, including antisocial behaviors, mania and aggressive tendencies;
* Daily overuse of media and technology has a negative effect on the health of all children, preteens and teenagers by making them more prone to anxiety, depression, and other psychological disorders, as well as by making them more susceptible to future health problems;
* Facebook can be distracting and can negatively impact learning. Studies found that middle school, high school and college students who checked Facebook at least once during a 15-minute study period got lower grades.

Still, all is not negative as Rosen said new research has found positive influences linked to social networking, including:

* Young adults who spend more time on Facebook are better at showing “virtual empathy” to their online friends;
* Online social networking can help introverted adolescents learn how to socialize behind the safety of various screens, ranging from a two-inch smartphone to a 17-inch laptop;
* Social networking can provide tools for teaching in compelling ways that engage young students.

Rosen had comments for parents, “If you feel that you have to use some sort of computer program to surreptitiously monitor your child’s social networking, you are wasting your time. Your child will find a workaround in a matter of minutes,” he said.

“You have to start talking about appropriate technology use early and often and build trust, so that when there is a problem, whether it is being bullied or seeing a disturbing image, your child will talk to you about it.”

He encouraged parents to assess their child’s activities on social networking sites, and discuss removing inappropriate content or connections to people who appear problematic. Parents also need to pay attention to the online trends and the latest technologies, websites and applications children are using, he said.

“Communication is the crux of parenting. You need to talk to your kids, or rather, listen to them,” Rosen said. “The ratio of parent listen to parent talk should be at least five-to-one. Talk one minute and listen for five.”

Randi Zuckerberg Resigns as Facebook’s Marketing Director, Starts Own Site

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg may have ongoing issues with the Winklevoss twins, but his sister isn’t leaving the social networking company because of any conflicts with her little brother — she just wants to start her own endeavor.

Randi Zuckerberg, Mark’s older sister, has been Facebook’s director of marketing for six years. She helped bring traditional media to the social networking realm and worked on many projects and partnerships with media companies. In addition, she helped Facebook launch Facebook Live, which is a live video streaming channel.

“I have spent my years at Facebook pouring my heart and soul into innovating and pushing the media industry forward by introducing new concepts around live, social, participatory viewing that the media industry has since adopted,” said Zuckerberg.

Now, she is moving on and plans to start a social media firm that will develop social strategies through working with media companies. While she will no longer be working for Facebook, she plans to keep the social beast as a “central element” in all of her projects.

“My goal is to launch my own innovative programming and work with media companies to develop their programming in new, and more social ways,” said Zuckerberg. “I plan to demonstrate that ANYONE can do groundbreaking media work in the platform.”