Is social media making us socially awkward? (infographic)

19 Jun 2012

Just how is social media social? A new infographic takes a look at online relationships.

For starters, Facebook users worldwide spend 10.5bn minutes on the social network’s website every day – and that’s not including users accessing the site via mobile devices.

Citizens of Singapore spend the longest amount of time on Facebook daily, clocking up 38 minutes and 46 seconds, but people in Britain are the most likely (at 28pc) than those in the US (24pc) to exaggerate or downright lie on a social network about who they have met or what they have done, the infographic by Schools.com published on Visual.ly shows.

All that social media usage is reflected in 24pc of users who have said they have missed out on important moments in person because they were too busy posting information about those moments on their social network!

In the US, 39pc of people who took part in a survey by Badoo said they spend more time socialising online than face to face, and 20pc said they prefer texting or communicating online than talking face to face.

Online friends may be no substitute for offline/real-world friends, however. A Hong Kong study has revealed that in comparison to online friendships, offline friendships involve more depth, breadth, understanding, commitment, and interdependence.

Infographic

Tina Costanza was a journalist and sub-editor at Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com