Consumers are increasingly conscious of the information they place on social networking sites. 81% indicate that they think twice before posting something, while 79% have become more selective in choosing and accepting ‘friends’. 74% give thought to which pictures they place online and which ones they do not.
In spite of the more cautious attitude, 87% indicate that their online identity strongly corresponds to their offline identity. 13% of consumers however admit to using a different persona online than who they are in reality. The study by InSites Consulting also shows that 23% of users feel they can more easily express their emotions via social media than in real life.
These are conclusions of the InSites Social Media Around the World - study among 2800 internet users in 14 countries.
The study clearly show that consumers are becoming more mature in their use of social media. Users can be themselves, though do so in a conscious manner. A form of online etiquette will increasingly be developed in an organic way by consumers themselves.