Sunday, December 2, 2012

Divided House?



 


“Thinking of deactivating Facebook to detox the mind,” says a status update of a friend. Are women spending too much time on social media?

A study says, ‘Overall, females spend more time on Facebook. Nearly 60% of Facebook users are women, compared to about 40% men. While Twitter has nearly equal number of men and women, women tweet more often than men. However, the gender split is almost even on YouTube, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Flickr and Instagram’. 

Personally, I believe this is how we interact in real lives. Women are great net workers and prolific communicators. Sharing information, watching pictures and connecting with people comes naturally to them. Plus, a good natter with friends makes women happier. It boosts levels of progesterone that reduces anxiety and stress.

 However, men are not overtly enthusiastic when it comes to socializing. They are not really interested in ‘who-is-wearing-what’ or ‘who-is-going-out-with-who’. I forced my husband to open his Facebook account but he seems to have no interest in pressing ‘likes’ or watching pictures of friends. Perhaps, younger men are more active on social media. Some even use social sites as a job or a mate seeking tool.

Hoping that women will not chew me to bits, I have to say that women are relatively more interested in observing the activity of other women. More significantly, women enjoy receiving and giving compliments. Only women can go, “Awww…so cute” or “Sooo sweet…super duper like.” Perhaps Zuckerberg knew ‘what women want’ and Twitter arrived as an icing on the top. 

In a recent article in Hindustan Times,  Barkha Dutt says, “As a television journalist who spends more time on Twitter than is healthy for her BlackBerry wrecked hands, I find that my tweets reach more people than the average audience for most English news shows.”
Now that says a lot, doesn’t it?

Interestingly, social media is also a platform where the news breaks first. What started as a social platform to share pictures and ideas, has now morphed into a powerful tool for empowerment and dispensing information. 

 For me and several others, Facebook is a useful ally to share blogs and articles. If I look at the gender divide from the number of comments, more women comment on the articles. However, verbal feedback tells me that more men read blogs but do not have the time or feel the need to comment - unless they are bloggers themselves.

While social media can be incredibly entertaining, it can be empowering too. Societies, they say, do not change significantly over a decade but individuals do. It may be a man’s world, but on the World Wide Web, women are finding their voices. And expressing them.  

So go forth and do it. Speak your mind that is!


 (Pic Courtesy: Google Images. The entire article is available in  Friday Gurgaon, dated 13-11-12)





36 comments:

  1. Oh well, can't live without facebook, i guess... but all the showing off gets to me at times!

    Check out my post on fb too :)

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  2. WEll you have stated a fact for sure ..

    regarding commenting I also find that men usually want to be seen on a lady blogger more than other Male bloggers blog .. you can pick up any male commentators and jsut follow them for a while and you will see it , I wrote a article on this a couple of months back and I did spend a lot of time going through a lot of commentators :) yepp i was beign a sad old person he he heh ee

    Bikram's

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    1. Other than my son. none of the men are fascinated by FB. Hence the post.
      :)

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  3. Interesting facts... For me, FB is a great time pass and wonderful way to connect with 'friends', you get to know everything on FB... reviews of books and movies, live commentary of all games and events, who partied where, who traveled with whom and where, what was cooked and what was eaten, all with glorious pictures!! It's fun and entertaining without any doubt! :D

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  4. Perhaps,it's a coincidence that on FB or my blog site ...I have greater number of ladies than men.

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  5. I will have to admit that it is true.

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    Replies
    1. Need not be apologetic about it Stuti. Its a good to connect and share.

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  6. Hahah...very true Alka. There would be no reason for women to eat you up. Let me tell you something a guy friend told me the other day. It seems that his friend's wife left job in order to study for some certifications. So, one day the friend comes home in between and just logs on to the computer. And when he checks the history, he sees that his wife was on FB for every 5 minutes, literally. When asked, she says, haan! what to do? I'm bored at home...LOL...I was thinking I should at least remove the app from my cell phone so that I don't check it as often.

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    1. I dont use it on my phone for the same reason. It occupies too much mental space.

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    2. Keep the wifi off on the phone, like I do ;-).

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    3. Rachna, then why did I get a smart phone for? after all the fighting with hubby even though I absolutely don't need it..hehe..but I know my activity has reduced. I don't go and peep what other people are doing. But only see the pics and posts on that day. These days, I don't get many notifications too, though I didn't change any settings..may be people blocked me..hehe :)

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    4. I got a smartphone because I need to check mails due to the nature of my work, and I don't like to loginto the system all the time. But, my FB stays off when I am working, and I take a peek during breaks. Otherwise it gets too addictive. That is the reason why I say, keep the wifi off or it becomes a nuisance, the phone beeping all the time:).

      Delete
  7. I know all about the status update :). You have beautifully listed the reasons why I am there on FB. I agree 100% with your observations. I am not active on Twitter, thank God for it. And, I love sharing pics, posts etc. Besides, I have a very varied group of friends, and FB is the only way I can keep in touch with all of them. My hubby is very regular on FB, but as you pointed out for men, he hardly comments or shares personal stuff. He has a loud-mouthed wife for it :). He hardly ever comments on my posts either though he reads them all. But, he is there with criticism or comment when he feels the need for it. And, that single word or line or the rare comment means so much to me. Social media is a boon if it is not addictive. And, these days, I am finally able to strike my balance. Good post, Alka :).

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    1. Yes, dear you are the inspiration for the post. My husband is into marketing and often on the move. He has neither the time nor the inclination to watch random pics.
      I am not active on Twitter for the same reason. Becomes too much.

      :) Loved ur pics with hubby. Awesome.

      Delete
  8. Females definitely bond better and more than men. I had once done a feature on this for the Tribune. Since the means of communication have changed so have women adapted to the new media and are on a roll. You have perfectly captured the scenario as it is and presented in such succint Alka-style post :) I am rather irregular on these networks and even when I am there, I don't share pictures and other personal stuff.

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    1. Zephyr, I get most readers for my blog via FB. It is a great ally for me to showcase my blog. Plus, I find it interesting to keep a tab on close friends, their kids etc.
      My husband on the other hand is just not into it.

      :)

      Delete
  9. I try and keep fb for family and close friends. With everyone so far flung it is a great way to stay in touch, exchange fun and the occasional photo. On thinking about it I realise I do leave more comments than my husband, but not even a tenth of what's in those amusing pictures you started this post with.

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    1. For me FB is a great ally to showcase my blog. And more and more women are getting hooked to it for entertainment and empowerment alike.

      Delete
  10. Leaving aside the Gender, I think you will be visible on Facebook or Twitter only when your job revolves around it or when you are not neck deep into a stressful job.
    I think most of the people who have a stressed out 9 to 9 job hardly have any stamina to interact on social network. If they are still able to do it, they are addicted. Like me. :)

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  11. women have way with words and are good in expressing their feeling. hence the larger oooh's and aaaah's about pictures/blogs(not counting fb here).

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    1. Yep, they love to express emotions. And Fb has become a feel good platform for giving and receiving compliments.

      Delete
  12. :-)

    Twitter, an icing on the top ?? Well, I still haven't visited a twitter page, let alone have an account there. I guess I'm still in the 'Ice Age'. :P

    I abandoned my Facebook amost two months ago. Though it was a step taken to focus my concentration on books (with important exams coming up), but actually, I realized my stress levels to have dipped considerably in the absence of Facebook. :D I'm not jumping back on to it. Surely not anytime soon. :P

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    1. I am on Twitter but I hardly tweet. It takes too much mind space.

      For men who have long work hours, it is impossible to look at mundane pictures and comment on them. However, even on week ends, my husband would rather read a article on the net than socialize on FB.

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  13. Agree with your facts and figures about women outsmarting men on FB and other social websites including blogs!Even in foregoing comments the trend speaks for itself, Alka:)

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  14. I have almost stopped logging on to FB as it just eats all the time. I hardly log on though now I feel the need to at least have a page for my blog there..

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  15. Facebook is an effective medium to feed your vanity, impress your friends with your vacation pics, share SMS jokes and patiently click like for anything that's not annoying...

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    1. Its useful ally to showcase my blog. My family friends and school friends read my posts via FB. Plus its fun. Yes its good for vanity too.:)

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  16. Nice Post!
    I guess one thing people are concerned about in Facebook is how many likes and comments they have received for their status update....
    Truth I have noticed about facebook, we can really come to know a large portion of somebody's life through it!

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    1. Thank you for liking Danny. Do agree that more and more women comment and spend time on FB compared to men?

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  17. Alka,

    Right you are. Women are better at networking is beyond doubt. And why should they not take full benefit of this social networking sites?

    Take care

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  18. Agreed! Women are naturally wired to share, comment and like and i guess this is a phenomenal breakthrough by Zuckerberg in understanding women and conceiving a social network thereafter!

    Studies in the US have shown more women being active whereas studies in India show more men being active. Women in India are still fighting for their basic rights so probably another 50 years has to pass by till we see a sizeable number of women exercising their right to freedom of expression - right after their right to education, safety, career, medical facilities, and so on.

    Whatever the outcome, its a little different in my house since i do not Facebook but the hubby does:)

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