About 6.5 million Australians belong to an online social network, and more than two-thirds of Internet users looked at other people’s content on social networking sites during 2008 according to Nielsen Online’s latest consumer generated media report. The most popular sites are Facebook – which showed 32 percent growth in 2008, MySpace, which recorded a 2 percent gain and Flickr, which grew by 14 percent. Among those who blog, MySpace was the favored vehicle, with almost one-third of users preferring it over any other site. Twitter penetration remains low – 7 percent – and about half of Australian Twitterers have been using it only since October 2008. That said, it is gaining popularity: users ranged it as the most stimulating social media activity.

 

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Chilling warning to parents from top neuroscientist.

Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, an eminent scientist has warned.

Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification and make young people more self-centred.
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