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Watch Out as Social Media Can Be Addictive

by Bill Ives

March 24, 2010 at 2:55 pm · Filed under Social Media, Twitter

Be careful as you might find yourself getting addicted to social media. I have raised this question before and now there is more supporting data from a Retrevo study. Retrevo is a consumer electronics shopping and review site. Their “Gadgetology Report” is an ongoing study of people and electronics from consumer electronics shopping site. The study addresses the question: Is Social Media a New Addiction? I reported on last year’s results (see: A Study of Social Media Addiction from Retrevo).

The data for this new study came from a study of online individuals conducted by an independent panel. The sample size was just over 1,000 distributed across gender, age, income and location in the United States.

Here are some of the highlights. The report found that 48% of people check/update FaceBook and/or Twitter after they go to bed. Personally, I am with the majority her. While I do often check Tweetdeck and my email before going to bed, I never do it afterwards. Now is where some of the addiction shows up. They found 18% of people under 25 years old can’t go more than a couple hours without checking in on FaceBook (vs. 11% over 25) and 61% of people under 25 have to check in on FaceBook at least once a day (vs. 55% over 25). I am no longer a big Facebook user since I got involved with Twitter so this is not an issue for me.

Smart phones have made this addiction more accessible. The study found that 28% of iPhone users check/update Twitter before they get out of bed, a similar number do it before they turn on their TV, and a the same percentage use Twitter for their morning news.

Twitter is not the only driver of social media addiction on mobile phones. The study found that 49% of people under 25 years old can be interrupted by an electronic message during a meal. (27% for people over 25 years of age). It even asked and found that 11% of people under 25 years old can be interrupted by an electronic message during sex (The number drops to 6% of people over 25 years old. I never allow my iPhone to near by when I do not want to be interrupted but then I am over 25. On a more mundane note, 22% of people under 25 years old can be interrupted by an electronic message during a meeting. (11% of people over 25 years of age).

Should we require warning labels on social media such as Facebook and Twitter or even enterprise apps? Of course, this is the fear of some who want to stop it from entering the enterprise. While these results are interesting, I do not see them as over-riding the benefits from a better connected organization.

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HansMarch 25th, 2010 at 10:37 am

and how many times do people with smartphones check their emails during a meeting.

BTW, I feel for the people interrupting sex because anyone checking messages etc during sex must have a really boring sex life

Rob PatersonMarch 26th, 2010 at 10:20 am

With this addictive power – how are they going to keep it out of the workplace? People will sneak out with the ciggies and their iphones to catch up!