Mediaboss Marketing

A supposed link between social networking websites and depression has been debunked by a US study.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin found no significant link between the amount of time spent on social networking sites and the probability of depression.

The study by the university's School of Medicine and Public Health comes after a report last year by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggested that exposure to Facebook could lead to depression.

University of Wisconsin researchers surveyed 190 university students aged 18 to 23 about their internet use over seven days.

The students were sent 43 text messages during the period asking if they were currently online, how long they had been online and what they were doing on the internet.

Participants spent more than half their total time online on Facebook.

But when the researchers evaluated the data including the depression screening results, no significant links with social media use and depression was found.

Go here to see the original:
Social media, depression link debunked

LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire -07/13/12)- For the best part of the last decade, social networking has transformed communication and the way that people interact with each other. But is social networking just for the younger generations, or can older adults join in on the conversation too?

People across the globe have instant access to social networking websites at the touch of a button, allowing them to be more connected than ever before.

Research(i) showed that in 2011 a growing number of over 50's were going online. Popular social networking website, Facebook, for example saw a growing number of older people signing up. Membership to the website increased by 41% between 2009 and 2011. A staggering 84% of those were older users.

It's not just Facebook which is quickly being dominated by the older generation, as a number of over 50s are heading to Twitter for social news and information too.

Further studies show that the number of over 50s heading to Twitter dramatically increased following the Ryan Giggs super-injunction scandal last year.(ii) Figures show that there was a surge in men aged between 50 and 64 who used the website after the news broke.

Over 60% of the UK Twitter audience following the story was made up of men over 50. The number of pensioner aged female Twitter users also doubled to follow the developing news.

A growing number of over 50s are keen to get involved in the latest technology and internet trends. Social networking is as familiar to them as it is to many in the younger generation. Whilst they may be becoming savvier web users, most could benefit from using the internet to become savvier with their personal finances, for example, when looking for over 50s life insurance.

Notes for editors:

(i)http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/facebook-flourishes-among-over50s-2303662.html

(ii)Research from Nielsen-UKOM, a UK online measurement company, as reported in the Telegraph

Link:
Is Social Networking Just for the Younger Generation?

Comic-Con 2012 begins Thursday night! As thousands continued to invade San Diego for a geek-ed out weekend, we have your complete schedule for everything TV tonight!

Here's the scoop on when and where your favorite TV show will host their panels, along with what participants will be discussing! Keep checking back throughout the weekend to get the latest TV gossip and news from Comic-Con!

Thursday, July 12 Panels

"Psych" (USA) 2:15 p.m. - Ballroom 20: James Roday (Shawn), Dule Hill (Gus), Corbin Bernsen (Henry), Maggie Lawson (Juliet), Timothy Omundson (Carlton), Kristen Nelson (Karen), and executive producers Steve Franks, Chris Henze and Kelly Kulchak

This is "Psych's" fourth consecutive year at Comic-Con. Attendees will get to see a never-before-seen "first look" at this fall's season seven.

Follow us

"Teen Wolf" (MTV) 2:30 p.m. - Room 6A: Tyler Posey (Scott), Dylan O'Brien (Stiles), Crystal Reed (Allison), Tyler Hoechlin (Derek), Holland Roden (Lydia) and Colton Haynes (Jackson) and executive producer Jeff Davis

"Teen Wolf" will be giving fans an exclusive first-look at a brand new episode. Those attending that panel will also get to see the world premiere trailer of "The Inbetweeners," MTV's new scripted comedy series.

"Beauty and the Beast" (CW), 3:30 p.m. - Ballroom 20: Kristin Kreuk (Catherine) Jay Ryan (Vincent) and executive producers Jennifer Levin, Sherri Cooper, Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders

"Beauty and the Beast" is a new show coming to the CW this fall. The series is described as a "modern adaptation of the beloved fairy tale." Those attending will get an exclusive viewing of the first episode.

Follow this link:
Comic-Con 2012 Schedule: The Complete Television Panel Lineup For Thursday, July 12

Oracle recently announced its plans to buy social marketing startup Involver soon after the acquisition of social marketing vendor Vitrue in May. This move, according to reports, is an add up to its growing collection of customer service software aimed at the social media.

Oracle is not the first company to jump on the social media bandwagon. Many of the major vendors worldwide are aspiring to take a lead in this relatively new market domain -- Social media. Today, analysis of social media traffic is an in-demand, niche area in the real-time analytics market. Research firm IDC states that demand for enterprise social software will grow strongly in the coming years, as more organizations implement the products to improve collaboration and communication primarily among employees, but also with customers.

Following the market scenario, major IT vendors have made big or small acquisition to boost up their social media arsenal around various technologies and verticals. Here are some of them --

Salesforce.com: Targets Social Enterprises

This cloud-computing giant said Monday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Canadian shared-browsing technology startup, GoInstant, that provides co-browsing and social experience for enterprise customers and consumers.

There is a tremendous potential for social enterprises to benefit from what the GoInstant has built, particularly when combined with salesforce.com's industry-leading social, mobile, and open apps and technology, Marcel LeBrun, senior vice president at Salesforce.com said in a blog post.

Microsoft: Securing Social Network

Microsoft announced its definitive agreement to acquire Yammer, a leading provider of enterprise social networks, for $1.2 billion in cash.

Launched in 2008, Yammer now reportedly has more than 5 million corporate users, including employees at 85 percent of the Fortune 500. Yammer's service will allow employees to join a secure, private social network for free and then makes it easy for companies to convert a grassroots movement into companywide strategic initiative.

IBM: Intelligence into Social Networks

Continue reading here:
Major IT Vendors Aiming at Social Media Through New Acquisitions

Votigo's new social marketing suite includes a promotions manager from which marketers can launch photo and video contests, sweepstakes, and other promotional apps in multiple languages across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social networks. It works in both the mobile environment and the Web.

Votigo has debuted a full-fledged social marketing suite that builds around its original core functionality of social promotions.

The 6-year-old company is offering a price point that is reasonable for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as functionality that can scale to enterprise level fairly easily, Mike La Rotonda, co-CEO and founder, told CRM Buyer.

"We have extended our engagement apps and added a full conversation manager that allows you to monitor the conversation from your customers across the social channel," he said. "You can post messages out to Twitter and Facebook and can see what people are responding to."

The company is also rolling out a social CRM feature set, which in its first iteration will focus on managing social contacts.

"Longer term," La Rotonda said, "we envision that platform plugging into other CRM products such as Salesforce.com or Sugar CRM."

The suite includes a number of features. Chief among them is a promotions manager from which marketers can launch photo and video contests, sweepstakes, and other promotional apps in multiple languages across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social networks. It works in both the mobile environment and the Web.

The promotions manager touches on the full promotion cycle: from creating the apps, to sharing and publicizing them to social audiences, to moderating submissions and fan commentary.

Another feature is the conversation manager, which serves as an interface to manage two-way conversations with fans on social media.

Besides managing social contacts, the social CRM piece includes features that track engagement and influence, and target special offers and communications. There is also analytics functionality, allowing users to measure and assess campaigns across the various social media platforms -- and email as well.

The rest is here:
Votigo Ventures Into Full-Scale Social Marketing