Mediaboss Marketing

Toronto, Nov 9 (IANS): British researchers have shown that people declaring support for a charity on social media are less likely to donate for the cause later on.

This trend has led to an increase in people becoming 'slacktivists'. The study was done at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business.

"Charities incorrectly assume that connecting with people through social media always leads to more meaningful support," says Sauder Ph.D student Kirk Kristofferson, who co-authored the forthcoming Journal of Consumer Research article.

"Our research shows that if people are able to declare support for a charity publicly in social media, it can actually make them less likely to donate to the cause later on."

The study results add fuel to recent assertions that social media platforms are turning people into "slacktivists" by making it easy for them to associate with a cause without committing resources to support it, reports Science Daily.

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Social networking turns people into slacktivists

WASHINGTON -

You may not have heard of a social media site called Ask.fm, but your kids probably have. And it's deadly. Ask.fm is now linked to nine teen suicides in the last year.

The social networking site allows users to post anonymous comments online. Kids as young as 13 years old are allowed on the site, everyone can see all the posts, and no one monitors the content.

"Anyone can say what they want, so people aren't going to be nice most of the time," Max Raykov says.

Robert Siciliano, a McAfee cyber security expert says Ask.fm is the new favorite sparring site for cyberbullies who want to tear people down without showing their face.

"There's no accountability with anonymity and the overall drama that takes place in social media exemplifies teen angst," Siciliano says.

The website BuzzFeed says Ask.fm has been linked to nine teen suicides in the last year.

People like 14-year-old Hannah Smith was found hanged by her sister in August after anonymous bullies on Ask.fm wrote things like: "every1 will be happy if you died. drink bleach. Go die."

"Teen suicides happen every day unfortunately, but the fact that a certain amount of teens were found with this on their phones or devices and their parents are equating to that definitely raises eyebrows," says Siciliano.

"Some of my friends have it and people do post mean things like you have no friends and stuff," 12-year-old Savannah says.

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Social networking site Ask.fm linked to 9 teen suicides

BJP and Congress Election Campaign Through Social Networking Site like Facebook | 10tv
For more information please click http://www.10tv.in/news-breakfast/BJP-and-Congress-Election-Campaign-Through-Social-Networking-Site-like-Facebook-22839 htt...

By: 10TVTeluguNews

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BJP and Congress Election Campaign Through Social Networking Site like Facebook | 10tv - Video

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Batman Arkham Origins | Let`s play | ep.2 | It`a not Halloween, take your mask OFF! - Video

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

ShapeUp, the leading global provider of social networking and incentives-based employee wellness solutions, announced that it has raised $7.5 million in new funding. This financing round, comprised of $5 million of equity from venture capital firms Cue Ball Capital and Excel Venture Management and $2.5 million of debt from Silicon Valley Bank, will fund strategic investments in mobile technology and global capabilities to drive member engagement and expand platform accessibility.

ShapeUp is a proven company with a stellar team and a product that continues to lead the next generation of corporate wellness offerings, said Tony Tjan, chairman of the Board of Directors at ShapeUp and managing partner of Cue Ball Capital. This investment underscores our belief that there is incredible opportunity ahead for this company in the rapidly growing social and mobile wellness space.

Excel Venture Management managing director Juan Enriquez said, Very few startup companies have been able to deploy globally across multiple languages and countries. It is a testament to ShapeUps management and product that they are ready to invest this new capital to further grow their Fortune 500 client base and remain global leaders in the wellness market.

ShapeUp will use a significant portion of the investment to build upon its existing mobile capabilities and launch the industry's leading mobile app and device integration infrastructure. This focus will help fill a major market gap by organizing and connecting the hundreds of different wellness-related mobile apps and devices now being used by consumers into a single, engaging, and effective corporate wellness platform. The company is also integrating with smartphone technology including GPS, accelerometers, co-processors such as Apples new M7, and companion smart watches to empower employees to track their fitness, share their progress with others, and receive personalized feedback throughout their daily routine. ShapeUp projects that the majority of participants will access its platform primarily through mobile devices by 2015.

No one in the corporate wellness space has effectively harnessed the power of mobile technology, but thats about to change, said Dr. Rajiv Kumar, founder and CEO of ShapeUp. Adopting lessons from our research in the direct-to-consumer space, were going to bring mobile wellness innovation to our hundreds of enterprise customers and their employees.

ShapeUp will also increase investment in its global wellness offering. The company currently leads the corporate wellness industry in global capabilities, serving the needs of multinational corporations by offering its platform in 23 languages, mastering the logistics of shipping fitness devices to any country, and providing 24/7 translated phone and email technical support to participants around the world. ShapeUp plans to further its offerings by adding global marketing expertise, regional health content, and enhanced localization tools.

ShapeUp is in a growing space, hitting our stride at the right time with an incredible opportunity to be the best wellness company in the world, said Ann Brady, chief financial officer of ShapeUp. We are excited to put this capital to good use as we scale and build out our mobile functionality and global reach.

ShapeUp, which offers a comprehensive software-as-a-service (SaaS) wellness platform to meet the needs of employers and health plans, had previously raised $9 million in funding since its inception. The company, an early pioneer of evidence-based social wellness programs, counts nearly ten percent of the Fortune 500 among its customers. ShapeUp reached profitability in 2013 and currently has 75 employees. The company expects to double its workforce and open satellite offices in Boston, New York, and San Francisco in the next 24 months.

About ShapeUp

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ShapeUp Raises $7.5 Million to Expand Mobile and Global Employee Wellness Offerings