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Young Hipsters Leaving Social Networking Sites, Research Says

by Caleb Johnson on August 6, 2009 at 03:12 PM



"Since when did Facebook become Mombook?" a friend asked us not too long ago, in regards to the social networking site's increasingly aging clientele. It's been anecdotally proven, time and time again, that there's no quicker way to make something uncool than for parents to catch on to it -- whether it's certain slang words or a particular style of dress.

The Guardian reports that research by media firm Ofcom suggests this adage holds true for social networking sites, too. According to the findings, just 50-percent of 15-to-24-year-olds in the United Kingdom have a profile on a social networking site in 2009, compared to 55-percent in 2008. This is the first time that number has dropped since the Facebook and MySpace boom a few years ago. Conversely, the number of 25-to-34-year-olds that use these sites has risen from 40-percent in 2008 to 46-percent now.
Twitter, Facebook, or MySpace?
Twitter826 (4.2%)
Facebook14794 (75.4%)
MySpace2410 (12.3%)
I use all three.1151 (5.9%)
I'm not sure.439 (2.2%)

If the past is any indication (think music and fashion), this trend will soon hit U.S. shores. Looks like the secret's out, and now young folks will have to find a new way to communicate. Who knows? Maybe they'll start to, you know, actually meet face-to-face and talk. What a novel idea, right? [From: The Guardian]
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Banned Facebook Groups
Surrey, BC Terrorist Group
A Facebook group supporting the International Sikh Youth Federation, a banned terrorist organization, was taken down by Canadian Police. Authorities were tipped off to the group because its page depicted a young person holding a prohibited gun, which was eventually traced back to 49-year old Bahadur Sandhur. Police seized it and two others when they investigated his home.

Banned Facebook Groups

    Facebook is a great venue for humiliating oneself with ranting and raving, but, like most things, people can take things too far. Give someone a soapbox (or in this case, a Facebook group) and there are sure to be others crazy enough to follow them. Here are some examples of Facebook groups that crossed the line and were banned from the site.

    Assasinate Evo Morales
    Here's a good way to get your group banned -- call for the assassination of a political leader. Titled 'Global Collection to Hire a Sharpshooter to Liquidate Evo Morales' was taken down by Facebook since it bans threatening violence. No surprises here.

    Getty Images

    Surrey, BC Terrorist Group
    A Facebook group supporting the International Sikh Youth Federation, a banned terrorist organization, was taken down by Canadian Police. Authorities were tipped off to the group because its page depicted a young person holding a prohibited gun, which was eventually traced back to 49-year old Bahadur Sandhur. Police seized it and two others when they investigated his home.

    Dead Babies Group
    Facebook took down a group called 'Dead Babies Make Me Laugh' after the UK Sun was flooded with outraged calls and emails. A running joke on campuses, the group included fake anecdotes about killing babies, but mothers weren't laughing even though the group was created and classified as being "just for fun."

    I Need Sex Group
    Laura Michaels of Bristol, England, created a Facebook group called 'I Need Sex.' According to the UK Sun, the group had more than 100 members after being up for only one hour. Michaels claims to have ended up sleeping with 50 of the group's members -- literally half of the group. Facebook opposes this type of personals-ad use, so the group was taken down.

    KKK group
    Facebook recently shut down a group called the 'Isle of Man KKK.' The group called for the elimination of newcomers from the UK island and featured a picture of a hooded Ku Klux Klan member. Thankfully, Facebook's terms of service prohibits content that is hateful or threatening.


Tags: facebook, myspace, socialnetworking, teens, top, trends, united kingdom, UnitedKingdom, web

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