Above is an info-graphic by EightyTwenty blog. It lays out the stats regarding usage of Social Media in Ireland. As I suspected, Facebook is currently the most popular social networking site in Ireland for all types of users including Irish Businesses. Twitter comes in second place.
I was asked in class last week which social media site am I on the most. It is definitely Facebook – but what is the reason for that? Well I guess it’s because Facebook has been a part of my social routine since I started my college career back in 2009. I know how to use Facebook (well, so I think) and I’ve developed a 5 year long relationship with it – establishing contacts and my own, personalised online persona. To move to another social networking site would take time and effort that I simply don’t want to give. I believe that this is the case for many Irish Facebook users. I’m sure there are plenty of shiny new social networks out there boasting a more user-friendly experience and what have you. But it’s simple – people, young and old, like what they know!
Now, on the other hand, I am not going to pretend that Facebook is safe forever. We all know it’s not. As shown in the above info-graphic, Twitter and LinkedIn are both hot on the heels of our number 1. But these sites are edging their way into our lives by claiming to provide a different type of service to what is already available to us. In this way, I believe it is quite possible for Facebook to be dislodged from it’s superior position. I believe that eventually users may unwittingly convert to a new favorite – whatever the site may be. By this I mean that Irish users will not consciously change their social media habits but may be unconsciously coaxed into learning the ways of one of Facebook’s competitors over time – due to a new convenience provided by the new site. Only then does this site have a chance at shoving Facebook off the top spot.
Sian Gilsenan - Multimedia Projects 