Social networks like Twitter and Facebook were instrumental to organizing protests during the Arab Spring, which eventually led to the overthrow of oppressive regimes and the liberating of entire peoples. Their presence ostensibly set the stage for where the voices of the future will be heard, inundating the services-to-the-masses as …
Social
More than 50% of Parents Use Facebook to Spy On Their Kids
The fears of a generation have been confirmed, as a new survey reveals that more than 50% of parents use social media as a way of spying on their children—and that even more would do so if they knew how.
The survey of 2,000 British parents, carried out by OnePoll, found that 55% of respondents use social media to track their kids’ …
AP Social Media Guidelines Now Permit Non-Controversial Sports Opinions
Last week, we told you about the Associated Press’ guidelines on social media that, basically, told staff that they couldn’t share their personal opinions online for fear that it might reflect badly on the AP. After outcry online over the issue, the AP has released an updated set of guidelines to allow for more freedom of opinion… …
There Will Be Two Internets. Or, What You Really Need to Know About Google+
The voyeurs of social media would have you believe that people want to connect with other people on an instinctive level, that humans are purely social animals. And who can prove them wrong? Mark Zuckerberg and his peer wunderkind have built the framework to our digital connections and we’re lured in again and again. We fill them with …
Engagement with Causes on the Web Varies by Gender, Ethnicity
Not a fan of being asked to support various causes on Facebook? Statistically, that suggests that you’re a white male, according to a new study carried out by Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. Two thousand Americans above the age of 18 took part in the survey towards the …
47% of Facebook Walls Contain Profanity, but Should Employers Give a Darn?
Well, dang.
A new survey conducted by Reppler, an online service that helps “keep your social reputation safe,” unveiled new data that shows 47% of Facebook users have profanity on their walls. Scanning 30,000 user profiles, the study found that 80% of users have at least one post or comment from a friend containing swear words.
In …
Twitter and Facebook Users: Getting Social on Fridays
Feeling guilty for sneaking in those few minutes of checking status updates or tweets at your work desk? Don’t. It’s Friday and, according to new research, you aren’t alone in your social media longings.
After analyzing more than 200 of its clients’ Facebook pages over two weeks, Buddy Media found that social media engagement …
The US Will Use Twitter and Facebook to Issue Terror Alerts
The U.S. government is working on a new warning system to replace their oft criticized five-color coded terror index, and according to a new document obtained by The Associated Press, they’re turning to Facebook and Twitter.
The AP reports:
The 19-page document, marked “for official use only” and dated April 1, describes the
…
Obama To Host Town Hall Meeting on Facebook
President Obama’s never been one to shun social media.
Wait, who are we kidding? We know the guy loves it (note his 2012 campaign opening on Facebook).
So his new announcement to hold a town-hall style forum on Facebook later this month should come as no surprise.
Mr. Obama will visit Facebook’s headquarters in Palo Alto, …
‘America 2049’ Brings Political Drama to Facebook Games
Whether it’s Farmville, Mafia Wars, or any of the hundreds of titles vying for attention in your news feed, social games get a lot of flak for trapping players in repetitive loops of shallow, sometimes compulsive gameplay. You can pull in your friends to help with that barn or take out a made man, but it ultimately doesn’t feed back into …
‘American Idol’ Introduces Facebook Voting
Picking up your landline phone and dialing in to vote for Clay Aiken on American Idol is so 2003, and texting ‘VOTE’ over and over for the sake of David Archuleta is so 2008. The latest way to vote for your favorite Idol? Via Facebook.
Entertainment Weekly reports that ‘American Idol’ has finally decided to take advantage of social …
How To Stage A DIY Mass Protest
Editor’s Note: The following is a guest post by Conor Friedersdorf.
No matter if you’re aiming to overthrow your government, or to simply shame your local state legislature, some best-practices for a D.I.Y. revolution have emerged of late.
As Egyptians revolted, Malcolm Gladwell argued in The New Yorker that the least interesting …