Social media may or may not be advertising, according to some people on Madison Avenue, but according to the average consumer, it has emerged as a top form of media entertainment. That's the
conclusion of new research being released today by PR industry giant Edelman, which surveyed 1,000 adults in the U.S. and the U.K., an found that social media now is deemed a "higher value experience
compared with other forms of entertainment."
"In the U.S., the rise of the Internet as a frequent source of entertainment is most dramatic in the 18-34 group, rising from 27% in 2009 to 42% in
2010," the firm disclosed. "In the U.S., 32% of 18-54 year olds look most frequently to the Web for entertainment (compared with 58% watching TV). The Internet also ranked second in the U.K., with 30%
turning to the Web most frequently, compared with 57% watching TV."
In fact, Edelman suggests that social media has spawned a new category dubbed "social entertainment," blurring the definition
of social media even further from its roots as so-called "word-of-mouth," communications, and community.
Another interesting, and potentially controversial, finding is that the vast majority of
respondents said they would not be willing to give up person information in exchange for access to free entertainment content.
"The study shows that consumers do value privacy but perhaps they
are not considering the personal information that they already distribute freely via social networks," states Jonathan Hargreaves, managing director of technology for Edelman, Europe. "Social
entertainment impacts the role of privacy - both in how individuals behave online but also in terms of how entertainment companies use customer information. This new era has created a shift in the
trust dynamic and businesses must consider the implications of this in order to nurture future trust in a brand."