Facebook better than sex

Posted on 16 Sep 2008 at 17:38

Social networking sites have dethroned pornographic websites as the most popular attraction on the web, according to Bill Tancer, general manager of global research at Hitwise.

The web guru has analysed information for over 10 million web users and published a book entitled "Click: What Millions of People are Doing Online and Why It Matters". Some of his findings provide remarkable insight into modern society.

He said that one of the major shifts in internet use over the past decade has been the decline in interest in pornography or adult entertainment sites in favour of social networking site. Surfing for porn had dropped to about 10 per cent of searches; it was 20 per cent a decade ago.

Today, the hottest internet searches are for social networking sites.

"As social networking traffic has increased, visits to porn sites have decreased," he said, indicating that the 18-24 year old age group in particular was searching less for porn.

"My theory is that young users spend so much time on social networks that they don't have time to look at adult sites."

His research also revealed that elbows, belly button lint and ceiling fans are on the list of people's top fears alongside social intimacy and rejection. Another finding is that there is an annual spike in searches for anti-depression drugs around Thanksgiving time in the United States.

Author: Dawinderpal Sahota

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