After "extensive qualitative and quantitative research",
regulatory body Ofcom has revealed that nearly half of all children
with access to the internet have their own personal profile on
asocial networkingsite.
The
Ofcom
report pulled together research from other sources, which
surveyed a total of 7,000 UK adults and children, to investigate
the role played by social networking in Britons' lives.
Predictably, it found the widest use among eight- to
17-year-olds: 49% of internet users in the age group used social
networking sites such as Facebook.
But even adults are not immune to
Web 2.0. A fifth (22%) of internet users over the age of 16
have at least one online profile, according to the report, and the
average is 1.6. Half of all adults access a social networking site
at least once a day.
According to previous research, by the
Get Safe Online
Campaign, around 44% of children and 41% of adults leave their
profile setting default as "open", so anyone can access any
personal information they may have posted.
The qualitative part of Ofcom's research categorised social
networkers into one of five social types: alpha socialisers,
attention seekers, followers, faithfuls and functionals.
Alpha socialisers, said Ofcom's experts, are mostly male
under-25s, who use sites in short intense bursts to flirt, meet new
people and be entertained.
Attention seekers are typically female, who seek to draw
comments by posting photos and profiles.
Followers join sites to keep up with social developments.
Faithfuls, on the other hand, use social networks to rekindle
friendships from school or university.
Functionals are usually males, who single-mindedly join a site
for a particular purpose.
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