The opportunities for online marketing are huge, and they're getting bigger. Recently mobile phone manufacturer Ericsson announced that 18% of Americans login to their Facebook profile before their head even leaves the pillow (source). This means that online mediums are the first place they are turning for relevant information. It also means that mobile is continuing it's massive growth as a computing platform.
Has Facebook killed our productivity?
Same Old Communication
Many see this new figure as a disturbing trend. Perhaps it is, but I really see it as changing of the guard. Facebook is a platform for communication, and that is a perfectly natural part of human life. We are always communicating. Be it talking, writing letters, using the telephone, and now even Facebook. It is a natural part of life to be connected and in touch with those around us.
Surely there is plenty of time wasted on Facebook and other social networks, but I think the biggest question is what is this time replacing. The article from the Daily Mall touches on this:
While people become addicted to Facebook in the home, a new survey by Harmon.ie found that more than half of U.S. workers waste an hour or more a day on 'interruptions'.
It was calculated that 60 per cent of this wasted time came from electronic devices and e-mails, while the other 40 per cent was from traditional sources, such as phone calls or chats with colleagues.
I guess my feeling is just that this trend isn't as disturbing as it seems. Sure, there are interruptions, but is that new? How do you feel? Is social media an interruption or an opportunity for engagement and communication?