LONDON, March 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — A recent online survey by Mydestinationinfo.com ( http://www.mydestinationinfo.com/) – a network of locally run travel information sites, in conjunction with YouGov, looked at how people use their devices (including smart phones, iPads, android tablets and a whole range of other devices). The survey revealed that 44% of holidaymakers who use a device in the North use it to check social feeds (e.g. Facebook, Twitter), whilst only 32% do so in the South.
We’re asking: Does this new research make Northerners a Coronation Street’s nosey Norris, or a sociable Steve McDonald?
It has long been supposed, that those in the North are a much more sociable breed than their Southern counterparts, with the connotation that Northerners have a greater sense of community. This research would appear to back this up.
Checking social feeds can be viewed as a way of staying connected with friends, family, colleagues, old school friends or random strangers. By checking social feeds you can quickly see what people in your network are doing and any news they may have.
This is the community of the modern age; the traditional sense of community where you would share stories in the post office or over a cup of tea, have now been taken over by sharing on Twitter or Facebook. Can we then say that the higher percentage of checking social feeds in the North is a modern day increased sense of community, thus making Northerners more sociable?
The availability and ever increasing usage of social media also allows us to connect with people that if we saw in the street, would probably cross the road. The person from school you always thought was destined for greatness, you’re now secretly happy to see that their stacking shelves for a living. If you saw this person in real life, you may have no time for them, but through social media, you can get a picture of what their life is like.
Can we then say that Northerners checking social feeds more than Southerners actually just makes them nosey? It’s not a modern day sense of a community, just a platform to help satisfy our natural curiosities. It is in fact a modern day version of Margot peering over the fence in The Good Life, or Betty from Emmerdale enquiring into the latest gossip in The Woolpack…
Whether you view Northerners checking social feeds more than Southerners as meaning that they are a sociable Steve McDonald or a nosey Norris, the increase and how we use social media undoubtedly throws up some interesting questions and debates.
Here are the figures for checking social feeds for the whole of Great Britain:
North: 44%
Midlands: 33%
East: 36%
London: 40%
South: 32%
Wales: 41%
Scotland: 36%
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2205 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 14th- 16th February 2011. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 16+)
http://www.mydestinationinfo.com/
