Dr. Sherry Turkle, Psychology Professor, at MIT says, "For a teenager, it doesn't make sense to think of MY LIFE and then I get distracted by SOCIAL MEDIA. We're not going to be taking away the internet. It's more a question of living with these devices that so compel us, in a way that serves our human purposes."

So in order to put Facebook in its proper place, Neeka took action. She asked her sister to change her Facebook password on Monday morning, and keep it hidden from her until Friday night.

Neeka said, "The first week was hard. My friends didn't know how I could do it, but my studying habits improved."

Monica and Halley decided to limit their use to one Saturday per month.

"If one of us cheated, and looked at Facebook, we'd be forced to write something embarrassing on somebody else's Facebook page."

I miiiiight be able to live without my Facebook password for a week.. maybe not Twitter though. This sounds pretty rough.

Among key findings noted by Haller in the new research:

• the Internet is revealing “quintiles” of usage — a sign of what Haller calls “settling,” with indications of core usage in the low range of 20 percent and the high range of 50 percent, depending upon the specific online behavior/activity surveyed
• those producers using the Internet are very active, for the most part, with e-mail, weather, markets, and futures the top draws
• unlike other media, “what I do not do” is still a larger number than “what I do;” but the “I do’s” appear to be in normal quintiles and represent an attractive target

Marketers and media owners plan to shift more resources into social media over the next 12 months, with over a half of respondents in a new survey saying “it has its place” in the marketing mix.  

The new findings in the latest Mumbrella Industry Snapshot survey has revealed that over 30 per cent of those interviewed believe there will be “significantly more resource put into using social media” next year, while 48 per cent said there would be “some” shift.

Around 16 per cent said there would be “no major change in focus towards social media”.

When questioned about how integral social media was viewed as part of the overall marketing mix, 14.4 per cent of respondents said it was “essential”, while 20.5 per cent said it was “very important”.

The majority of respondents – 52.9 per cent – said “it has its place”. Only 6 per cent said it was “over hyped or over rated”.

A new study published last month claims revenue from the sale of digital content in games like Mafia Wars and Battlefield Heroes will be over $1 billion by the end of 2009. Top reasons for the surge (more than double last year's record) include an expanding population of casual gamers and the increasing sophistication of casual games on platforms like Facebook.

According to a recent Financial Times article, financial analysts Justin Smith and Charles Hudson monitored the sale of virtual goods across gaming platforms like Facebook, Second Life, Xbox Live and the iPhone App Store. "I don't know anyone who expected it to grow this fast," said Smith in an interview with GamesBeat. "The Facebook platform went from zero to hundreds of millions of dollars in two and a half years. It reflects a broader shift in society where people are spending more time on casual games."

SAN FRANCISCO — In a sign that Google is interested in broadening its reach among local businesses, the search giant is in acquisition talks with Yelp, the review site for local businesses, according to three people with knowledge of the deal.

The two companies have had conversations for several years, but a more serious round of acquisition talks began two months ago, one of the people said late Thursday. The companies have discussed a price and are negotiating the details, but have not yet signed an agreement.

Many people claim to be social media gurus, but are they really? “I have over five thousand Twitter followers, how many do you have?” Well, sorry to say this, but just because you are big on Twitter doesn’t mean you are a social media guru. You have to understand, social media is more than your number of followers or how many people like your Facebook status. It’s about your overall immersion and influence in online communities.

To help you figure out your social media IQ, we have developed a quiz to grade your social media savvy. Grab a pen and paper or keep track — in your head — of how many times you say yes. We’ll see how much of a social media guru you really are.

While I appreciate the safety factor of this iPhone app, it seems a little ridiculous to me. The Type n Walk app works with other apps and programs on your iPhone to give you a view of where you're going so you can stare at your phone all the time. Basically, it uses the camera along with other apps on the phone so you can update your Facebook status, post to Twitter, and text message, and not run into anything or anyone while you're typing.

Want to get a job using social networks? Here’s how to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Plaxo to land the right connections.

With 80-90% of all jobs filled through alternate means besides actual resume postings, the phrase bears repeating: You are who you know. That’s why social networking sites with a business edge such as undisputed industry leader LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) are so important. At LinkedIn you are judged, at least somewhat, by the company you keep. And if that company consists of people within your particular area of expertise, be they satisfied coworkers, distant associates who’ve come to know and like you through your business dealings, or higher-ups who appreciate your skill set, the prospects are bright should an opening become available. Why? Because LinkedIn is now so elephantine and so seemingly necessary in the business world that few people of importance don’t utilize it.