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One in ten Facebook users report receiving abusive or insulting messages on Facebook, meanwhile women admit to sacrificing sex to indulge in social networking. New Media Knowledge looks at two new studies into social media behaviour and its impact on our personal well-being and lifestyles. By Chris Lee.

One in ten (10 per cent) of Facebook users claim to have been the victims of abusive or insulting messages on social media, according to a new study. This figure rises to one quarter (25 per cent) of 18-24 year-olds and 16 per cent of 25-34 year-olds and includes insulting posts on their wall or menacing private messages.

The study by market research firm Global Market Insite Inc. (GMI) also found that abuse was thankfully not a frequent occurrence, with the majority of victims (61 per cent) saying that abuse had only happened once or twice. Some, on the other hand, are not so lucky, with eight per cent claiming they receive anti-social messages about once a month and three per cent more than once a month.

According to GMIs research, the most likely culprits are people that the recipient knows in real life (62 per cent), although 27 per cent said the perpetrator was not even on their Facebook friends list. In the world of social media most users are quick to act to prevent this happening again. Two thirds (65 per cent) respond by blocking the offender. 27 per cent use the Report link provided by Facebook. As well as taking advantage of the privacy settings (14 per cent), setting up a limited profile (six per cent), stopping using Facebook (five per cent) and closing their account (three per cent), while a plucky 14 per cent asked the perpetrator directly to stop.

Ralph Risk, GMIs marketing director for Europe, said: "In the virtual world of social media people may feel it is easy and anonymous to send insulting or abusive messages to other users. Our research shows that most people on Facebook are currently able to tackle the problem themselves using the technology provided. The strength of social media has always been the opportunity to easily connect and interact with friends and groups, but to ensure its continued flexibility is not restricted by legislation, it is important that the ability to limit exposure to insulting and abusive messages is simple for users to control themselves.

Twitter presents a different negative experience, according to GMI, with just five per cent of users reporting having received threatening, insulting or abusive tweets. GMI says this may be because half of respondents said they only had a Twitter account in order to follow others rather than engage.

According to another study out in the same week, women admitted to foregoing sex and chores to socially network. As a result the average woman can expect to spend 963 days on social networks (60 minutes each day) over the course of her lifetime, a full eight months longer than the average man, who will spend 723 days or just 48 minutes per day.

Inbound marketing agency Browser Medias research found that people are willing to give up socialising and going out (14 per cent), sleep (10 per cent) and sex (eight per cent) in order to spend time on social networks. Watching television and films, chatting on the phone, reading and cooking also fall victim to social networking.

Smart phones now mean that social networking is both a round the clock and on-the-go activity, with no need to stop until your device runs out of battery. Therefore it comes as no surprise that social networking addiction has become a new twenty first century ailment, especially when individuals are giving up necessities such as sleeping and cooking, commented Joe Friedlein, managing director, Browser Media.

For Friedlein, a key question is whether social media is seen as an enabler or an obstruction to everyday living.

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Anti-social networking? Two studies reveal disruptive nature of social media

April 12, 2013

The FA Cup will feature a social networking component. AFP-Relaxnews picLONDON, April 12 The FA Cup semi-finals, taking place tomorrow, April 13 and Sunday, April 14, will be the first matches in the history of the Cup to feature pitch-side social networkers, who will be taking and sharing pictures of the action on their smartphones.

The historic English football competition, which pits teams from the English leagues against each other, is currently sponsored by Budweiser, which has found a way to incorporate social media into live football.

When Milwall takes on Wigan on April 13 at 5:15pm local time and Chelsea goes up against Manchester City on April 14 at 4pm local time, two specially chosen pitch-side photographers will be taking pictures of the action and live tweeting them.

The two photographers, Oliver Nielson and Ope Odueyungbo, are amateurs chosen for their ability to take high-quality smartphone pictures. To see the live-tweeted images, all football fans have to do is to follow @BudweiserUK on Twitter.

Fans watching the games from home or the pub are being encouraged by the beer brand to share images of their FA Cup day experiences via Twitter using the hashtag #tothedream, which will also be used by the pitch-side amateur photographers.

A selection of these fan photos will be chosen to appear in a short film to be screened during the FA Cup final on May 11. AFP-Relaxnews

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FA Cup semi-final to feature pitch-side social networking

Chennai, April 13 (IANS) While more and more actors are finding reasons to jump onto social networking platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to stay connected with their fans, actor Kay Kay Menon finds the whole process a waste of time.

He says time spent on these platforms is the worst form of over communication.

"Communication via Facebook and Twitter is such a waste of time according to me. I don't understand the constant need to communicate. Why would I want to tell someone where am I going to take shower at? I would rather invest time spent here in a game of tennis," Kay Kay told IANS.

"I agree under communication is bad but this type of over communication is worst. If I really need to talk to someone, then I pick up the phone and call that person or pay him or her a visit," he added.

He feels this constant need to communicate makes people lose their integrity.

"I find actors on sets hooked on to Twitter and Facebook in between the shoot. Instead of wasting time on these things, they can talk about the film or even discuss scenes. I get obnoxious looking at such people who have no integrity towards their work," said the actor, known for his work in films such as "Sarkar", "Life in a... Metro" and "Gulaal".

The 45-year old is neither on Facebook nor on Twitter. In fact, he doesn't even have an email address!

"I'm not available on any social (networking) platform and neither do I intend to join sooner or later. I don't even have an email address. I deal most communication personally or via my manager," he said.

For now, Kay Kay is awaiting the release of his debut Tamil film "Udhayam NH4", releasing April 19.

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Kay Kay Menon feels social networking is waste of time

Washington, April 12 (IANS) Scientists have reported that rampant use of social networking, texting and chatting on mobile phone can result in lower grades and poor performance of students, says a study.

The widespread use of media among college students -- from texting, chatting on mobile phones to posting status updates on Facebook -- may be affecting their academic performance, say researchers at the Miriam Hospital's Centres for Behavioural and Preventive Medicine in the US.

The study showed that freshmen women spend nearly half their day - 12 hours - engaged in some form of media use, particularly texting, music, the internet and social networking.

Researchers found media use, in general, was associated with lower grade point averages (GPAs) and other negative academic outcomes. However, there were two exceptions: newspaper reading and listening to music were actually linked to a positive academic performance.

The findings, reported online by the journal Emerging Adulthood, offer some new insight into media use in early adulthood, a time when many young people are living independently for the first time and have significant freedom from parental monitoring, reports Science Daily.

"We found women who spend more time using some forms of media report fewer academic behaviours, such as completing homework and attending class, lower academic confidence and more problems affecting their school work, like lack of sleep and substance use," said lead author Jennifer L. Walsh from the Miriam Hospital's Centres for Behavioural and Preventive Medicine.

Walsh added that the study was one of the first to explore mechanisms of media effects on academic outcomes.

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Social networking, texting linked to poor academic performance

Influenza has claimed the life of one Cantabrian two months before the annual flu season is set to strike.

News of the death comes as unprecedented numbers of Kiwis are lining up for the flu jab and as new figures reveal five Cantabrians died from influenza-associated illnesses last year.

The Press understands Carole Mary Burgess, who was in her mid-70s, contracted the deadly H3N2 influenza virus before she died in Christchurch Hospital on March 27.

Bereaved family members confirmed Burgess was diagnosed with influenza but that they did not want to comment further.

Last year Canterbury was hit with an influenza H3N2 outbreak four times the national average and 347 people wound up in hospital.

The flu strain then hit the United States, where hundreds of people died from influenza-associated illnesses, including more than 100 children.

As New Zealand prepares for its second bout of the killer flu strain, a Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) preliminary internal review shows five Cantabrians who died last year had laboratory-confirmed influenza.

CDHB clinical virologist Lance Jennings also confirmed a laboratory test had found one patient in Christchurch died from influenza H3N2 last month.

Influenza can infect Kiwis throughout the year and is often spread by travellers returning from overseas or disembarking cruise ships, he said.

The normal influenza season begins in June and Jennings urged Cantabrians to get immunised as soon as possible because the seasonal vaccine "provides our best protection against influenza".

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Flu virus strain kills one Cantab