SlideShare une entreprise Scribd logo
1  sur  24
Télécharger pour lire hors ligne
LOVE(AND SEX)
IN THE AGE OF
SOCIAL MEDIA
biggest
The world’s
erogenous
zone
Romance and sex used to be private and shrouded in mystery: i.e., practiced behind
closed doors. Back in the early days of popular novels, moralists warned that romantic
fiction would put dangerous ideas into people’s heads, inflame their imaginations and
stoke lewd desires. Once moving pictures became a popular pastime, the same strictures
were applied to them. The U.S. Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 (Hays Code)
presented strict guidelines on the subject, including: “excessive and lustful kissing, lustful
embraces, suggestive postures and gestures, are not to be shown” and “in general, passion
should so be treated that these scenes do not stimulate the lower and baser element.”1
Similar moral impulses tried to tone down the performances of hip-swiveling Elvis “The
Pelvis” Presley in the 1950s; his hip gyrations were just too much, too much.
Oh, if those moralists of yore could only see us now…
In free societies, no amount of moralizing could hold back the tide of what people
respond to. Mass media have made romance, lust and love normal parts of everyday life.
Through several generations now, hundreds of millions of people all round the world have
had mass-media heartthrobs to fall in love with. Books, magazines, movies, songs, radio
and TV have exposed us all to different ideas—”memes”—about what’s normal and
what’s possible in intimate relationships.
Traditional media, subject to the limits of legislation and distribution, have been somewhat
controllable. But the Internet? That’s a whole ’nother story.The Internet gives everyone
everywhere pretty much unrestricted access to any imaginable aspect of intimate
relationships. Virtually any romantic or erotic content an individual might imagine is on the
Internet and can be found with just a few clicks. And now social media gives people instant
access not only to romantic and erotic content, but also to each other.
It’s often said that the mind is the biggest erogenous zone of the body. In that case,
the Internet is the most powerful erogenous zone the world has ever known. Novels,
movies, music and TV were just a foretaste of the impact the
Internet has had already (and will have in the future) on
intimate relationships, on relationships more generally—and
beyond that, on the way we live our lives.
In this paper we look at five key aspects of how Americans
think about online romance through the prism of an online
survey of 1,000 Americans online, carried out for Euro RSCG
in January 2011.
WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 3
Regular use of the Internet has got many of us wondering about one of the favorite
themes of philosophers and science fiction, from Buddha and Plato to The Matrix: What
is reality? The difference being that in this case it’s not just a head-in-the-clouds
academic issue—it’s a real, live practical question for ordinary people every day. The
language we use reveals the confusion, as we make a distinction between things
happening on the Internet and things happening “in real life.”
So are things people do online “real,” “unreal”—or something else?
There are some cases that are beyond discussion: Breaking a leg or catching a sexually
transmitted disease in “real life” has far more tangible consequences than getting hurt
or infected in a virtual world (although computer viruses can be devastating). But in
other areas the lines are not so clear. Many different “real life” products and activities
can migrate partially or wholly online—not just books, music and movies, but also
medical consultations, education, jobs, careers and even warfare.
The more people become used to spending time online, the more normal it feels to be
seeking out important things in life online as well as offline. That includes love in all its
forms. In fact, the increasing scope for interactions online is forcing us to expand our
notions of what the word “love” means.
4 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
OBSERVING LOVE ONLINE
What’s called “love” in books and songs and movies and conversation is hard to pin down.
It’s actually a whole range of feelings and relationships: “Eros” (lustful erotic love);
“Mania” (obsessive love); “Lludus” (conquests and deception): “Storge” (natural affection);
“Philos” (friendship love); “Pragma” (practical love) and “Agape” (spiritual love).2
At first glance, it seems most of these types of love require physical proximity, but on
further consideration, maybe they don’t after all. Perhaps some—or even most—types of
love can transpire online. As people become more adept at online interactions, and more
online tools become available, some of these forms of love will grow as naturally online
as they have done offline.
Love online - Agreement with the statement: It’s possible to have
a romantic relationship with someone on the Internet.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
41% 28% 29% 46% 37% 29% 21% 52%
Plenty of Americans think that it’s possible to have a romantic relationship with someone
on the Internet—overall one third agree (34 percent).There’s a big difference between
men and women (41 percent versus 28 percent), which indicates that more women than
men need a physical connection to make the romance work for them.There’s a clear
generational difference, too; the younger the cohort, the more of them see online romantic
relationships as possible. And even 21 percent of Matures see the possibility.
Love online - Agreement with the statement: It’s possible to have
an erotic relationship with someone on the Internet.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
39% 27% 26% 43% 36% 29% 21% 53%
WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 5
“The increasing
scope for
interactions online
is forcing us to
expand our notions
of what the word
‘love’ means.
”
There’s very little difference in the percentages of respondents who see the possibility for
erotic relationships online, with 33 percent agreeing overall. Prosumers are far more
likely to see the possibility for both romantic and erotic relationships.
Love online - Agreement with the statement: I know somebody
whose relationship started with online interactions.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
49% 52% 47% 66% 57% 43% 26% 80%
Love online - Agreement with the statement: Online dating has
become normal/mainstream.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
53% 55% 49% 65% 60% 47% 30% 69%
The real impact is where online and offline mix—where one leads to the other. Overall,
half the sample (50 percent) knows somebody whose relationship started with online
interactions, and more than half (53 percent) think online dating has become
normal/mainstream.There’s a clear generational gradient here, as well:The younger the
cohort, the more the agreement. Impressive proportions of Boomers (43 percent) and
Matures (26 percent) know somebody whose relationship started with online interactions.
6 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
“More women
than men
need a physical
connection to
make the romance
work for them.
”
A lot of the resistance and hostility to activities online stems from lack of familiarity
with the technologies, the interfaces and the modes of interacting. Online is a new and
different space with different cultural norms that we have to learn and adapt to, just as
we learn and adapt to the culture of a new town, a new company or a new social set.
We have all seen media pieces about what people do on the Internet (and now we have
seen the back story, too, via The Social Network). But as much as we’ve heard other
people talking about it, it’s all hearsay and theory until we have experienced it for
ourselves. It’s when personal experience comes into the equation that consumers become
active and energized, exploring for themselves, swapping tips with friends and driving the
online activity that translates into big shifts in behavior.
Love online - Agreement with the statement: I have flirted with
somebody online.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
39% 23% 18% 49% 37% 22% 8% 51%
WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 7
EXPERIENCING LOVE ONLINE
“More men
than women
engage in online
flirting—or at least
admit to it.
”
Not everybody starts out as a vocal, prolific poster of online comments. For many people
the first big challenge in social networking online is venturing to say anything at all in
spaces where there may be strangers and it’s not possible to read other people’s mood
and reactions easily. Then, once people get comfortable with basic online interactions,
they move on to the sort of interactions that are a little riskier even offline, let alone
online: joking, arguing and flirting.
More men than women engage in online flirting—or at least admit to it; a substantial
39 percent of men in the survey say they have flirted with somebody online, compared
with a more modest 23 percent of women. The question is whether the gap between the
two would be wider or narrower in face-to-face interactions. For women, one big plus of
flirting online is that there’s less physical risk if things get out of hand.
Not surprisingly, the frequency of this online behavior correlates with age; the younger
the cohort, the more they have flirted online. Still, it’s impressive that 8 percent of
Matures have flirted online, too.
Love online - Agreement with the statement: I have experienced
strong feelings of attraction for somebody online.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
26% 14% 12% 30% 23% 15% 9% 35%
For people unfamiliar with or skeptical of online interactions, it may be hard to imagine
feeling anything much for someone in whose physical presence you have never been (and
may never be). However, as people interact online, feelings are stirred up. And why not?
It’s not at all unusual for people to have strong feelings about other people they’ll never
meet in person, such as popular actors, musicians and authors, so why not people online
with whom you’re able to have an actual conversation?
More than a quarter of men (26 percent) and 14 percent of women say that they have
experienced strong feelings of attraction for somebody online.
The fact that even 9 percent of the Matures have experienced strong feelings of
attraction for somebody online indicates that what happens on the Internet can put a
twinkle in older eyes, too.
Love online - Agreement with the statement: I have had a romantic,
sexual or erotic relationship online.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
22% 12% 12% 24% 22% 10% 7% 32%
8 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
“Engaging in
relationships online
may risk making
people less available
for relationships
with people close
to them.
”
One thing that makes social media crucially different from traditional media is the
potential for interactions with real people. People have always felt strongly attracted to
remote figures in books, in pictures or TV and movie screens. In most cases it’s not
regarded as unusual for people of any age to “have a thing” about some media figure
who is, for all practical purposes, purely virtual; it’s one-way only.
Now with social media, a similar phenomenon is happening—except that it’s two-way.
The parties interact; they respond to each other. It may well be less concrete and “real”
than meeting a person in the same physical space, but it’s more of a real relationship
than is possible with a celebrity.
A solid 22 percent of the men and 12 percent of the women say they have had a
romantic, sexual or erotic relationship online.
WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 9
Hundreds of millions of people are now using the Internet as a tool for living, or rather
as a whole range of tools for different aspects of life. As the great media and
communications theorist Marshall McLuhan observed, “We become what we behold. We
shape our tools, and then our tools shape us.” And true to McLuhan’s statement,
consumers are finding that online services can be shaped into great tools to meet their
various “love” needs to some degree: connection, interaction, recognition and affection,
not forgetting arousal and passion. Many in today’s world are concerned about the ways
in which these tools seem to be shaping the users.
Front and center of these worries is pornography, known euphemistically as “adult
content,” although “adult” is a moot point: Many sites boast “barely legal teens,” and
teenage boys are widely identified as big consumers of porn. As former AOL editor-in-
chief Jesse Kornbluth commented: “Porn and teenage boys have been inseparable since
the beginning of time. The Internet offers more extreme porn than the airbrushed
Playboy images I grew up on, but that’s not a reason to get unduly riled. I’m much more
concerned about porn and adult males, many of whom seem to use it as a substitute for
real relationships. Substitution quickly becomes distance, and distance becomes an
unbridgeable chasm—and the porn-obsessed masturbator develops an unhealthy view of
sex and women.”3
10 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
THE EFFECTS OF LOVE AND SEX ONLINE
According to Gizmodo, 40 million Americans are regular visitors to porn sites and one
third of visitors are women; 25 percent of search engine requests are pornographic and
35 percent of downloads are pornographic.4
Clearly, there’s a lot of sexual content being consumed, so we can expect the effects to
be reflected in at least some of our large representative sample.
Love online - Agreement with the statement: Discussions on the
Internet have influenced how I think about sex.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
15% 8% 8% 23% 14% 6% 5% 21%
Love online - Agreement with the statement: Images on the
Internet have influenced how I think about sex.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
26% 9% 13% 33% 21% 9% 4% 36%
Both discussions and images of sex on the Internet have influenced men more than
women, but images have a bigger influence all around. Almost twice as many men as
women (15 percent versus 8 percent) say discussions on the Internet have influenced
how they think about sex. However, the impact of images on the Internet is far more
striking; almost three times as many men as women (26 percent versus 9 percent) say
images on the Internet have influenced how they think about sex. Among Married
respondents and for each generational cohort except Matures, around 50 percent more
have been influenced by images than by discussions.
WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 11
“Social media
has lessened the
time, money and
effort of searching
for partners and
increased the likely
success rate.
”
Love online - Agreement with the statement: Online relationships
can take the pressure off face-to-face relationships.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
31% 28% 26% 44% 33% 24% 13% 49%
Love online - Agreement with the statement: Online relationships can
be too much of a distraction from face-to-face relationships.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
34% 37% 36% 41% 38% 30% 41% 40%
Whether relationships are on- or offline, they take time, attention and care. We see a
great deal of ambivalence about the positive and negative effects online relationships
can have on face-to-face relationships. On the positive side, online relationships may act
as a safety valve, enabling a person to experience or express things that might not have a
place in their face-to-face relationships. Similar percentages of men and women (31
percent and 28 percent) agree that online relationships can take the pressure off face-
to-face relationships. Significantly, this thought resonates with more than a quarter of
married respondents (26 percent).
On the negative side, engaging in relationships online may risk making people less
available for relationships with people close to them. Here, too, similar percentages of
men and women (34 percent and 37 percent) agree that online relationships can be too
much of a distraction from face-to-face relationships. This thought earns agreement
from 36 percent of married respondents.
Comparing the two sets of responses yields two important insights. Firstly, more men
than women see online relationships as having positive effects on face-to-face
relationships, and more women than men see such relationships as having negative
effects. Secondly, across most segments, except Gen Y and Prosumers, more respondents
see the negative effects than the positive. For Gen Y the positive balance of online
relationships is slight; for Prosumers, it’s wider.
12 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
“There are
plenty of sites
aimed at people
looking for
something other
than a serious
committed
relationship…
”
What’s the real state of American relationships now? The official statistics indicate a
marriage rate of 7.9 marriages per 1,000 Americans and a divorce rate of 3.9 5, which
suggests a divorce rate of more than half the marriage rate, but it’s not quite that
straightforward. The divorce rate in first marriages is 41 percent, in second marriages
it’s 60 percent, and in third marriage it’s 73 percent.6
For cyber-alarmists with short memories, let’s not forget that divorce rates in the United
States were on the rise long before the Internet was being widely used. For many
decades, Americans’ commitment to family values has had to slug it out with their
beliefs in freedom, consumer choice and new beginnings—and the balance has apparently
tipped towards freedom and choice. And now that the Internet is impacting every aspect
of life, it’s highly likely that it’s having an impact on relationships and break-ups too.
Just as the Internet has made it a lot easier to find rare books and discontinued spare
parts, so has it eased the search for romantic partners. In fact, one need not even
actively be looking—our e-mail inboxes are bombarded daily with offers from Russian
brides, hot singles and lonely housewives. For anybody with even a little curiosity,
romantic connections are never more than a click or two away. The law of averages
surely makes it likely that more people now than before will be tempted to check out
who else is available, with a possibility that this increased illicit behavior may lead to
more divorce.
WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 13
CYBER-CHEATING
After all, social media has lessened the time, money and effort of searching for partners
and increased the likely success rate. Even people who are married or in a stable
relationship can keep looking for more attractive partners; they can stay in the market,
either looking for opportunities to cheat or else for a completely new relationship.
Aside from the mainstream matching sites such as eHarmony.com and Match.com, there
are plenty of sites aimed at people looking for something other than a serious committed
relationship: websites such as AshleyMadison.com (“Life is short. Have an affair.”)7,
Liketocheat.com and Affairlink.com invite extramarital encounters.
The jury is still out on whether the potential for cyber-cheating is rocking the marital
boat. Economist Todd D. Kendall ran analyses of large-scale data sets (from 2003,
hence before social media), looking for correlations between Internet penetration rates
and divorce rates. He found no clear evidence that the rise of the Internet has increased
divorce but added “the results presented in this paper can only identify short-term
effects of Internet access, leaving open the possibility of different or opposite long-term
effect. Certainly, the Internet makes romantic search much easier and hence likely to
become more widespread.” As Kendall points out, for married people using the Internet
to look for extramarital affairs, the Internet increases privacy and reduces the chances
of being caught.8
However, people who feel positively about their current situation are less likely to look
around than people who don’t feel as positive. So as an indicator for potential cyber-
cheating, we looked at how Americans feel in their current relationship situation.
Please check all that apply to how you feel in your current
relationship status.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
Fulfilled 28% 32% 43% 25% 32% 30% 32% 26%
Settled 36% 40% 50% 28% 41% 36% 48% 30%
Bored 16% 12% 8% 20% 16% 12% 3% 19%
Open to
better offers 17% 13% 4% 22% 16% 14% 3% 17%
Looking to
spice things up 25% 24% 21% 32% 33% 19% 6% 40%
The results show that there is a lot of potential for relationship shake-ups bubbling
under the surface in the United States. Above all, there’s a very significant minority
(overall 25 percent) looking to “spice things up.”
Half of married Americans (50 percent) feel settled in their relationship status but
fewer of them (43 percent) feel fulfilled. In fact, 8 percent feel bored in their
relationship and although just 4 percent are open to better offers, a substantial 21
percent are looking to “spice things up.”
14 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
“There is a lot
of potential for
relationship shake-
ups bubbling under
the surface in the
United States.
”
The bellwether Prosumers point to more casting round for a change of relationship;
fewer of them feel fulfilled (26 percent versus 30 percent of non-Prosumers) or settled
(30 percent versus 39 percent of non-Prosumers), more of them feel bored (19 percent
versus 14 percent of non-Prosumers), and far more of them are looking to spice things
up (40 percent versus 23 percent).
Cheating online - Agreement with the statement: The Internet has
made it easier for people to cheat on their partners.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
62% 65% 65% 67% 64% 65% 55% 79%
Cheating online - Agreement with the statement: I know somebody
whose relationship ended because of their actions online.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
31% 30% 29% 49% 32% 27% 8% 55%
Cheating online - Agreement with the statement: Having a strongly
sexual relationship online doesn’t count as cheating on
your partner.
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
6% 4% 6% 4% 6% 6% 2% 4%
More than half of Americans of all conditions think the Internet has made it easier for
people to cheat on their partners. Even among the Matures (aged 65 and over), more
than half (55 percent) agree that the Internet has made cheating easier.7 How much of
that is supposition, how much is observation, and how much is personal experience?
A strikingly high proportion of the overall sample (31 percent) knows somebody whose
relationship ended because of their actions online. This is a huge impact for technologies
that have been truly mainstream for barely a decade. The impact has been observed most
by the youngest cohort (49 percent) but even among the over-65s, it’s on the radar of 8
percent.
On the sticky question of online sexual relationships, the great majority of Americans
disagree that “Having a strongly sexual relationship online doesn’t count as cheating on
your partner.” However, not all Americans disagree; 6 percent agree that online sex
doesn’t count as cheating.
WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 15
“More than half of
Americans…think
the Internet has
made it easier for
people to cheat on
their partners.
”
Finding satisfactory romantic partners is one of those eternal human challenges, and
modern life hasn’t made it any easier.
Increased mobility makes for stretched and fractured social circles; each new move
means more time and effort building new social ties that may provide or lead to romantic
possibilities. Busier lifestyles leave less time for hanging out and building relationships.
Consumer culture encourages people to expect more and look around for better deals if
they’re not satisfied; the same thinking easily transfers to personal relationships.
Pretty early on in the life of the Web, people realized that the Internet offered plenty of
scope for helping people find romantic partners; that is not a new phenomena. Almost a
decade ago, in 2002, Wired magazine noted the growth of online dating (“Today, one in
five singles looks for love on the Web”) and forecast that it would become the norm
within a couple of decades: “Twenty years from now, the idea that someone looking for
love won’t look for it online will be silly, akin to skipping the card catalog to instead
wander the stacks because ‘the right books are found only by accident’ … After all, how
likely is it that the book of your dreams will just fall off the shelf and into your arms?”9
Online dating site Match.com launched way back in 199510, eHarmony started its online
activities in 200011 and PlentyofFish started in 200412. Nichier sites have been around a
long while, too.The Jewish dating site JDate.com was founded in 199713, the LGBT site
Gay.com launched in 1996.14 And these rub virtual shoulders with a bewildering range of
sites offering romantic matching for all imaginable niches: vegetarians, Catholics, geeks,
deaf and ASL people, golf nuts,Trekkies and even Mac fans.15
To echo Wired’s point, with so many options for finding romantic partners online why
would anybody with Internet access not make use of them?
16 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
TYPES OF SITES THAT SCORE
A paper presented to the American Sociological Association in 2010 said that the
Internet is “unambiguously gaining importance over time as a place where couples
meet.” The authors said that in the coming years the Internet could eclipse friends as the
most influential way Americans meet their romantic partner.16 Commenting on his
findings, co-author Michael J. Rosenfeld, an associate professor of sociology at Stanford
University, said: “the Internet is a friend to everybody who is looking for something
that’s hard to find […] And that’s true whether you’re looking for parts for a ’57 Chevy,
or a partner who has some attributes that are uncommon.”17
There’s no longer any question that the Internet is increasingly becoming the go-to place
for people seeking a romantic partner of any sort. But which bits of the Internet look
like the best bets?
Could you imagine this type of site/media leading you
into some kind of romantic or erotic relationship? –
Answering probably/definitely
Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers
N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108
Fulfilled 28% 32% 43% 25% 32% 30% 32% 26%
General social networking
sites (e.g., Facebook) 32% 22% 24% 40% 31% 21% 11% 52%
Match-making sites
(e.g., Match, eHarmony) 30% 22% 22% 34% 33% 19% 14% 37%
E-mail 30% 20% 23% 27% 29% 22% 20% 33%
Dating sites 28% 20% 20% 30% 32% 17% 12% 32%
Specialist social networking
sites (e.g., Flickr) 19% 10% 13% 18% 20% 11% 6% 28%
Adult sites 21% 7% 12% 15% 19% 11% 9% 22%
Chat services
(e.g., MSN, AIM, Skype) 21% 12% 13% 23% 23% 11% 4% 22%
Blogs or discussion forums 17% 11% 13% 16% 16% 12% 10% 21%
Classified services
(e.g., Craigslist) 16% 6% 9% 14% 15% 9% 2% 19%
Location-based services
(e.g., FourSquare) 15% 8% 10% 17% 13% 10% 4% 19%
Brand-based site 16% 7% 10% 12% 15% 8% 9% 19%
The specialist sites and media each have their fans as places with a good chance of
leading to a relationship, but top of them all are general social networking sites such as
Facebook. These sites are by far the most promising for the youngest cohort of Gen Y
(40 percent) and for Prosumers (52 percent). Prosumers consistently rated all the
different channels higher than other groups, but the margin is particularly wide for
general social networking sites.
Men rated every channel significantly higher than women; it seems that, across the
board, men are more optimistic than women about their prospects with online
matchmaking and dating.
WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 17
“Consumer
culture encourages
people to expect
more and look
around for better
deals if they’re
not satisfied…
”
GENDERS—EQUALLY ONLINE, BUT DIFFERENT
We’re long past the days when the Internet and computers can be cast as the domain of
men (i.e., boys and their toys). Women are fully present on the Internet; still, there’s no
getting away from gender differences in attitudes and the things men and women do
online. According to Aaron Smith, a research specialist at the Pew Internet and American
Life Project, a few years ago men were more likely than women to be online, but that’s no
longer the case. “In general, a lot of the general gender differences in Internet usage that
we saw have pretty much gone away … It tends to show up more in the applications they
use than whether they go online and whether they have a computer.”
The fact that an increasing percentage of relationships and marriages started with
online connections proves that serious numbers of women are seeking and finding
romantic connections online. However, our survey shows that consistently more men than
women are positive about every aspect of online romance. Significantly more men than
women think that every type of electronic/online interaction can lead to some kind of
erotic or romantic relationship, and that it’s possible to have romantic or erotic
relationships on the Internet. Words and images on the Internet have influenced thinking
about sex for significantly more men than women, and far more men than women have
flirted with, been strongly attracted or had a love relationship with somebody online.
The higher percentages of men pursuing romance online should not be interpreted as
meaning that women are not interested in making a whole gamut of romantic connections
online; the percentages for women are lower, but they’re still substantial. What’s more,
18 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
WHAT IT ALL MEANS
the lower numbers of women may give an advantage to the ones who are actively
searching online, because online dating and matching services are essentially sophisticated
marketplaces bringing supply and demand together. If women are in shorter supply than
men, then their bargaining power should be greater; they should be in a stronger position
to be picky.Theoretically, online searching gives women greater quality control.They can
check out potential romantic partners and go through some of the preliminaries from a
safe distance, with far less risk of getting creeped out, groped or worse on a first date.
ONLINE ROMANCE—BLUSH NO MORE
Online dating is no longer weird—in fact, it’s smart. It’s no longer the geeky or
desperate exception, it’s the mainstream and increasingly plain vanilla norm. Not all
consumers have had direct personal experience with it yet—at least not that they will
admit to—but plenty know people who have, and even more have read or heard about
people who have. In a world where prominent tattoos and piercings have moved from the
fringes towards almost-normal, and where people hold loud cell-phone conversations in
public places, online dating hardly merits a raised eyebrow—unless it’s for something on
the edge of the moral map.
GENERATIONS—DON’T WRITE OFF THE SENIORS
On virtually every metric in our survey, positive and not-so-positive attitudes towards
online romance correlate directly with age; Gen Y tends to be more positive than Gen X,
who are more positive than Boomers, and they’re more positive than Matures. This is not
at all unexpected.
Gen Y was born into life online; Gen X came to it in young adulthood; Boomers spent
more than half of their lives in a pre-online world; and if Matures speak digital, it’s with
an analog accent. For Gen Y online is “d’oh”, for Matures it’s “Are you sure?”
WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 19
“More men
than women think
that … it’s possible
to have romantic or
erotic relationships
on the Internet.
”
The mating agenda is far different for younger cohorts than for older. For Gen Y, it’s all
about checking out the full range of who’s available, playing the field, trying partners
out and maybe hoping to find the One for a serious relationship. For Gen X, there are far
fewer first-timers and far more who have had at least one serious relationship (with the
scars to prove it) and are looking for a change or a whole new start. For Boomers, very
few are first-timers and many are hoping that they’ve still got what it takes for
romance. Whatever fantasies Matures may have must be tempered by what they see in
the mirror and what their physician’s report tells them.
The urges and the energy of younger cohorts in online dating can be pretty much taken
as read; it offers great opportunities to meet their needs. However, the response of
Boomers and Matures is very encouraging for any business offering romance-related
products or services online. As these huge demographics age and live on—and on, and
on—and time takes its toll on their old connections, they will need new connections. For
older people who may not feel like cruising singles bars or ready for senior speed dating,
online services will be a new lease on romantic life.
THE SOFT-SELL MEETS THE MIGHT-BE-INTERESTED
Prosumers are consistently ahead of the curve on most trends, so it’s particularly
intriguing that a majority of them rate general social networking sites such as Facebook
as offering great chances of leading to romance. General social networking sites also
emerge as top for men, women, Marrieds and Gen Y. Specialist matchmaking sites also
score strongly, but nowhere near as strongly among Prosumers and Gen Y.
20 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
“The big
difference
between general
social networking
sites and dedicated
dating sites is the
difference between
a neighborhood
bar and singles
bar.
”
The big difference between general social networking sites and dedicated dating sites is
the difference between a neighborhood bar and singles bar. In general networking sites
and the neighborhood bar, people go along to socialize, to hang out, to meet old friends
and maybe make new friends, to chat and maybe play games with other people. It may
be that the interactions lead organically to romantic connections. In the singles bar and
the online dating site, people are there with a clear agenda: to find a romantic partner.
The social networking site is about interaction; the dating site is about transaction. The
people who are most at home online—Gen Y and Prosumers—are the ones who are
most likely to regard online as just another space, with its own characteristics, where
they can do what they feel like naturally. Others may still be more inclined to see online
services as being about transactions and getting things done.
BRANDS: A THIRD WHEEL?
The space where would-be romancers meet is controlled and strongly branded by the site
owners—Facebook, Match.com, etc.—and it’s the site owners who provide the value in
terms of features and functionality.
Whether visiting a dating site or a general social networking site, consumers are there to
meet and interact with each other. They’re looking for a “product,” for sure, but the
product they’re seeking is a unique individual person who matches their hopes and
desires as near as possible. They’re probably looking for a “deal,” but the deal they’re
seeking is with another person willing to trade time and attention and goodwill and
maybe more.
If the romantic encounter were taking place in a physical space, then brands would
surely have their place; food, drink, apparel, fragrance, personal care and maybe in due
course more intimate products. But in the virtual space of online interactions, what’s the
scope for brands to find a place?
Which brands can bring value to the party? How can brands be present and add value
without being a third wheel?
WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 21
“Whether visiting
a dating site or
a general social
networking site,
consumers are
there to meet
and interact with
each other.
”
ENDNOTES:
1 http://www.artsreformation.com/a001/hays-code.html
2 http://www.psywww.com/intropsych/ch16_sfl/six_types_of_love.html
3 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-matlack/perspectives-on-pornograp_b_633647.html
4 http://gizmodo.com/5552899/finally-some-actual-stats-on-internet-porn
5 http://divorce.lovetoknow.com/Divorce_Rates
6 http://marriage101.org/divorce-rates-in-america/
7 http://www.ashleymadison.com/cheating/affair-guarantee-package.html
8 http://www.toddkendall.net/internetdiv.pdf
9 http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.11/view.html?pg=2
10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match.com -
11 http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/history/eharmonyhistory.html
12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlentyofFish
13 http://what-is-what.com/what_is/jdate.html
14 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay.com
15 http://cupidtino.com/
16 http://www.asanet.org/press/Internet_Access_and_Relationships.cfm
PHOTO CREDITS:
22 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Cover:
creativecommons.org/schatz
Inside front:
creativecommons.org/Oneras
Page 3:
(from top)
creativecommons.org/
Enokson; Dimitri N.;
Camdi luv ,O AmmyLynn
Page 4
(from top)
creativecommons.org/
VideoVillain;
Page 5:
(from left to right)
creativecommons.org/
jessica mullen; bettyx1138
Page 6:
creativecommons.org/
titlap
Page 7:
creativecommons.org/
Nick Douglas
Page 9:
creativecommons.org/
Rob Boudon
Page 10:
creativecommons.org/dadevoti
Page 11:
creativecommons.org/
stuartpilbrow
Page 12:
creativecommons.org/certified su
Page 13:
creativecommons.org/
denharsh
Page 16:
creativecommons.org/
dissuadedotorg
Page 18:
creativecommons.org/
Rob Boudon
Page 19:
creativecommons.org/
Ed Yourdon
Page 20:
creativecommons.org/
Mike the Moutain
This white paper is the sixth in a series of thought leadership pursuits by Euro RSCG Worldwide PR.
In October 2009, Euro RSCG Worldwide commissioned a survey to map the trajectory of social life and social
media usage in the United States, quizzing 1,228 Americans. A white paper looked at the macro developments
in social media and drew conclusions and implications for marketers and their clients. Our company conducted
an additional survey of 600 Americans about social media and health care. We presented our findings at an
FDA hearing on promoting FDA-regulated medical products online and through social media. To get a copy of
the white paper, please go to our Social Life and Social Media website.
Shortly thereafter, seeking to better understand how teen girls spend, socialize and communicate, Euro RSCG
Worldwide PR commissioned a survey of 100 teenage girls nationwide aged 13 to 18. A March 2010 white
paper presented the proprietary study’s findings in the context of today’s communications and business worlds
as they are increasingly dominated by social and other digital media. We used the information we gathered to
launch The Sisterhood, an agency within an agency that is an insight group to help define the teenage female
consumer’s ideas in fashion and beyond. To get a copy of the white paper, please go to The Sisterhood website.
Euro RSCG Worldwide PR and Euro RSCG Life, the health-focused communications network of Euro RSCG
Worldwide, commissioned the online “mood monitor” survey of 386 Americans in February 2010 that also led
to a white paper. The survey showed that people’s interest in a raft of weighty matters had grown in the
previous 12 to 18 months. And on many points, particularly related to money, Americans tended to net out far
more pessimistic than optimistic on subjects such as quality of life, employment, real estate and schools. Euro
RSCG commissioned a similar poll in the bellwether state of Connecticut. For a copy of the reports, please go
to the White Papers page of the Euro RSCG PR website.
In summer 2010, ERWW PR took part in a five-country study by Euro RSCG Social that looked at how
millennials (people aged 18 to 25) are making themselves felt in the workplace, consumer markets and
politics. The biggest bottom line in the survey: Young people across the world think the world needs changing,
and they’re confident social media will give them the power to accomplish that change. To download the report
based on the study, please go to our Social Life and Social Media website. A new report built on the same
study, discussing differences between genders in that age group, launched this fall.
In January 2011, for the study “Male in the U.S.A.,” Euro RSCG drew on its long history of marketing to
men—including the popularization of “metrosexual” in 2003—plus the results of recent proprietary studies,
independent research and insights gained through ERWW PR’s global trendspotting network, connecting the
dots between all of them. Men in the United States today have many differences, but there are commonalities,
and the paper addresses both. To try to accurately illustrate a portrait of the American man, it looks at
demographics, the wealth illusion, the effects of the recession, male icons in Hollywood and beyond. A
conclusion offers a list of 10 points helping to define the American male in 2011. To read this report, please
go to the White Papers page of the Euro RSCG PR website.
And for “Sex (and Love) in the Social Media Age,” we drew on the results of a proprietary online survey of
1,000 Americans, plus the research and insights we gain via our extensive trendspotting work to tackle the
new realities of intimacy.
Through such research and analysis, we are addressing topics that are not only imperative to our clients and
our own growth but are also driving news about the future. The studies are places to listen and learn. They’re
propelling momentum for companies, brands and causes. They’re satisfying the new value exchange, where
consumers want brands that listen, converse and enable them.
Please join us in the conversation.
Marian Salzman
President
Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, North America
200 Madison Avenue, 2nd floor
New York, NY 10016
http://www.eurorscgpr.com
P: 212-367-6811
E: marian.salzman@eurorscg.com
T: @mariansalzman
Love (And Sex) in the Age of Social Media

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post
Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington PostBreaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post
Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Postsqueamishapocal75
 
Tasers, Abortion and Parenting: Behind the Curtain of Policing America
Tasers, Abortion and Parenting: Behind the Curtain of Policing AmericaTasers, Abortion and Parenting: Behind the Curtain of Policing America
Tasers, Abortion and Parenting: Behind the Curtain of Policing AmericaJon Hansen
 
TRENDS IN ONLINE DATING
TRENDS IN ONLINE DATINGTRENDS IN ONLINE DATING
TRENDS IN ONLINE DATINGRachel Noonan
 
Welcome to the Fifth Estate
Welcome to the Fifth EstateWelcome to the Fifth Estate
Welcome to the Fifth EstateGeoff Livingston
 
E marketer taking_the_measure_of_millennial_men-as_sort-of-grownups_as_digita...
E marketer taking_the_measure_of_millennial_men-as_sort-of-grownups_as_digita...E marketer taking_the_measure_of_millennial_men-as_sort-of-grownups_as_digita...
E marketer taking_the_measure_of_millennial_men-as_sort-of-grownups_as_digita...AdCMO
 
2011 05-i moms-masterclassc-latinamamas
2011 05-i moms-masterclassc-latinamamas2011 05-i moms-masterclassc-latinamamas
2011 05-i moms-masterclassc-latinamamasiMedia Connection
 
Teenage Stereotyping
Teenage StereotypingTeenage Stereotyping
Teenage Stereotypingfob163
 
Online Dating and Modern Romance
Online Dating and Modern RomanceOnline Dating and Modern Romance
Online Dating and Modern Romancealishamie
 
Ogsf mon 1310 laura martin
Ogsf mon 1310 laura martinOgsf mon 1310 laura martin
Ogsf mon 1310 laura martinMediaPost
 
20141125 freeman dec14interiortextfinalaccepted
20141125 freeman dec14interiortextfinalaccepted20141125 freeman dec14interiortextfinalaccepted
20141125 freeman dec14interiortextfinalacceptedElsa von Licy
 
Let's talk about sex baby
Let's talk about sex babyLet's talk about sex baby
Let's talk about sex babyShiftbalance
 
Jaclyn Javurek option 1 pos435 final paper
Jaclyn Javurek option 1 pos435 final paperJaclyn Javurek option 1 pos435 final paper
Jaclyn Javurek option 1 pos435 final paperJaclyn Javurek
 

Tendances (18)

The State of Men (June 2013)
The State of Men (June 2013)The State of Men (June 2013)
The State of Men (June 2013)
 
Teens, Adults & Sexting: Data on sending and receipt of sexually suggestive n...
Teens, Adults & Sexting: Data on sending and receipt of sexually suggestive n...Teens, Adults & Sexting: Data on sending and receipt of sexually suggestive n...
Teens, Adults & Sexting: Data on sending and receipt of sexually suggestive n...
 
Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post
Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington PostBreaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post
Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post
 
Tasers, Abortion and Parenting: Behind the Curtain of Policing America
Tasers, Abortion and Parenting: Behind the Curtain of Policing AmericaTasers, Abortion and Parenting: Behind the Curtain of Policing America
Tasers, Abortion and Parenting: Behind the Curtain of Policing America
 
TRENDS IN ONLINE DATING
TRENDS IN ONLINE DATINGTRENDS IN ONLINE DATING
TRENDS IN ONLINE DATING
 
Welcome to the Fifth Estate
Welcome to the Fifth EstateWelcome to the Fifth Estate
Welcome to the Fifth Estate
 
AprilMay
AprilMayAprilMay
AprilMay
 
E marketer taking_the_measure_of_millennial_men-as_sort-of-grownups_as_digita...
E marketer taking_the_measure_of_millennial_men-as_sort-of-grownups_as_digita...E marketer taking_the_measure_of_millennial_men-as_sort-of-grownups_as_digita...
E marketer taking_the_measure_of_millennial_men-as_sort-of-grownups_as_digita...
 
2011 05-i moms-masterclassc-latinamamas
2011 05-i moms-masterclassc-latinamamas2011 05-i moms-masterclassc-latinamamas
2011 05-i moms-masterclassc-latinamamas
 
Teenage Stereotyping
Teenage StereotypingTeenage Stereotyping
Teenage Stereotyping
 
Online Dating and Modern Romance
Online Dating and Modern RomanceOnline Dating and Modern Romance
Online Dating and Modern Romance
 
Ogsf mon 1310 laura martin
Ogsf mon 1310 laura martinOgsf mon 1310 laura martin
Ogsf mon 1310 laura martin
 
20141125 freeman dec14interiortextfinalaccepted
20141125 freeman dec14interiortextfinalaccepted20141125 freeman dec14interiortextfinalaccepted
20141125 freeman dec14interiortextfinalaccepted
 
Let's talk about sex baby
Let's talk about sex babyLet's talk about sex baby
Let's talk about sex baby
 
Depends On Us All
Depends On Us AllDepends On Us All
Depends On Us All
 
Shoemaker
ShoemakerShoemaker
Shoemaker
 
Jaclyn Javurek option 1 pos435 final paper
Jaclyn Javurek option 1 pos435 final paperJaclyn Javurek option 1 pos435 final paper
Jaclyn Javurek option 1 pos435 final paper
 
Fys 5 pg paper
Fys 5 pg paperFys 5 pg paper
Fys 5 pg paper
 

En vedette

diana estefania huertas
diana estefania huertasdiana estefania huertas
diana estefania huertasdiana
 
Strategic Thought Starters for the Near Future
Strategic Thought Starters for the Near FutureStrategic Thought Starters for the Near Future
Strategic Thought Starters for the Near FutureHavasPR
 
American Companies Unlimited
American Companies UnlimitedAmerican Companies Unlimited
American Companies UnlimitedHavasPR
 
2020 Trends
2020 Trends2020 Trends
2020 TrendsHavasPR
 
Meet the New Social: Ten Trends and Beyond
Meet the New Social: Ten Trends and BeyondMeet the New Social: Ten Trends and Beyond
Meet the New Social: Ten Trends and BeyondHavasPR
 
Trends 2013
Trends 2013Trends 2013
Trends 2013HavasPR
 
Why Mass Dropped Dead
Why Mass Dropped DeadWhy Mass Dropped Dead
Why Mass Dropped DeadHavasPR
 

En vedette (7)

diana estefania huertas
diana estefania huertasdiana estefania huertas
diana estefania huertas
 
Strategic Thought Starters for the Near Future
Strategic Thought Starters for the Near FutureStrategic Thought Starters for the Near Future
Strategic Thought Starters for the Near Future
 
American Companies Unlimited
American Companies UnlimitedAmerican Companies Unlimited
American Companies Unlimited
 
2020 Trends
2020 Trends2020 Trends
2020 Trends
 
Meet the New Social: Ten Trends and Beyond
Meet the New Social: Ten Trends and BeyondMeet the New Social: Ten Trends and Beyond
Meet the New Social: Ten Trends and Beyond
 
Trends 2013
Trends 2013Trends 2013
Trends 2013
 
Why Mass Dropped Dead
Why Mass Dropped DeadWhy Mass Dropped Dead
Why Mass Dropped Dead
 

Similaire à Love (And Sex) in the Age of Social Media

Outline Of Internet Dating
Outline Of Internet DatingOutline Of Internet Dating
Outline Of Internet DatingBeth Hines
 
The Pros And Cons Of Internet Pornography
The Pros And Cons Of Internet PornographyThe Pros And Cons Of Internet Pornography
The Pros And Cons Of Internet PornographyVeronica Morse
 
The Future of Relationships
The Future of RelationshipsThe Future of Relationships
The Future of Relationshipssparks & honey
 
Pornography On The Internet Essay
Pornography On The Internet EssayPornography On The Internet Essay
Pornography On The Internet EssayJaclyn Creedon
 
Adolescent Pornography Addiction
Adolescent Pornography AddictionAdolescent Pornography Addiction
Adolescent Pornography AddictionKimberly Schneider
 
The Pros And Cons Of Internet Addiction
The Pros And Cons Of Internet AddictionThe Pros And Cons Of Internet Addiction
The Pros And Cons Of Internet AddictionCarmen Sanborn
 
Pornography And The Internet
Pornography And The InternetPornography And The Internet
Pornography And The InternetAmanda Crow
 
Social Media And Its Effects On The Lesbian Community
Social Media And Its Effects On The Lesbian CommunitySocial Media And Its Effects On The Lesbian Community
Social Media And Its Effects On The Lesbian CommunityJenny Smith
 
OMSI Science Pub - Sex, Relationships, and Technology
OMSI Science Pub - Sex, Relationships, and TechnologyOMSI Science Pub - Sex, Relationships, and Technology
OMSI Science Pub - Sex, Relationships, and TechnologyOMSI Science Pub
 
Dehumanization Of Pornography
Dehumanization Of PornographyDehumanization Of Pornography
Dehumanization Of PornographyVeronica Sulaiman
 
The First Sexual Revolution During The Era Of The Roaring...
The First Sexual Revolution During The Era Of The Roaring...The First Sexual Revolution During The Era Of The Roaring...
The First Sexual Revolution During The Era Of The Roaring...Donna Kuhns
 
Dangers Of Pornography
Dangers Of PornographyDangers Of Pornography
Dangers Of PornographyLakeisha Jones
 
Essay About We Should NOT Censor Internet Pornography
Essay About We Should NOT Censor Internet PornographyEssay About We Should NOT Censor Internet Pornography
Essay About We Should NOT Censor Internet PornographyAmber Rodriguez
 
Gender Nonconformity
Gender NonconformityGender Nonconformity
Gender NonconformityBrenda Thomas
 
Buying Sex Documentary Summary
Buying Sex Documentary SummaryBuying Sex Documentary Summary
Buying Sex Documentary SummaryLana Sorrels
 

Similaire à Love (And Sex) in the Age of Social Media (20)

Sexual promiscuity
Sexual promiscuitySexual promiscuity
Sexual promiscuity
 
Outline Of Internet Dating
Outline Of Internet DatingOutline Of Internet Dating
Outline Of Internet Dating
 
The Pros And Cons Of Internet Pornography
The Pros And Cons Of Internet PornographyThe Pros And Cons Of Internet Pornography
The Pros And Cons Of Internet Pornography
 
The Future of Relationships
The Future of RelationshipsThe Future of Relationships
The Future of Relationships
 
Pornography On The Internet Essay
Pornography On The Internet EssayPornography On The Internet Essay
Pornography On The Internet Essay
 
Adolescent Pornography Addiction
Adolescent Pornography AddictionAdolescent Pornography Addiction
Adolescent Pornography Addiction
 
The Pros And Cons Of Internet Addiction
The Pros And Cons Of Internet AddictionThe Pros And Cons Of Internet Addiction
The Pros And Cons Of Internet Addiction
 
Pornography And The Internet
Pornography And The InternetPornography And The Internet
Pornography And The Internet
 
Social Media And Its Effects On The Lesbian Community
Social Media And Its Effects On The Lesbian CommunitySocial Media And Its Effects On The Lesbian Community
Social Media And Its Effects On The Lesbian Community
 
OMSI Science Pub - Sex, Relationships, and Technology
OMSI Science Pub - Sex, Relationships, and TechnologyOMSI Science Pub - Sex, Relationships, and Technology
OMSI Science Pub - Sex, Relationships, and Technology
 
Feminist Perspective On Pornography
Feminist Perspective On PornographyFeminist Perspective On Pornography
Feminist Perspective On Pornography
 
Dehumanization Of Pornography
Dehumanization Of PornographyDehumanization Of Pornography
Dehumanization Of Pornography
 
Anti Porn Feminist Research Paper
Anti Porn Feminist Research PaperAnti Porn Feminist Research Paper
Anti Porn Feminist Research Paper
 
The First Sexual Revolution During The Era Of The Roaring...
The First Sexual Revolution During The Era Of The Roaring...The First Sexual Revolution During The Era Of The Roaring...
The First Sexual Revolution During The Era Of The Roaring...
 
Dangers Of Pornography
Dangers Of PornographyDangers Of Pornography
Dangers Of Pornography
 
Essay About We Should NOT Censor Internet Pornography
Essay About We Should NOT Censor Internet PornographyEssay About We Should NOT Censor Internet Pornography
Essay About We Should NOT Censor Internet Pornography
 
Tinder That Sparked
Tinder That SparkedTinder That Sparked
Tinder That Sparked
 
Gender Nonconformity
Gender NonconformityGender Nonconformity
Gender Nonconformity
 
Buying Sex Documentary Summary
Buying Sex Documentary SummaryBuying Sex Documentary Summary
Buying Sex Documentary Summary
 
Pornography Addiction Essay
Pornography Addiction EssayPornography Addiction Essay
Pornography Addiction Essay
 

Plus de HavasPR

7 Trends to Watch in 2012
7 Trends to Watch in 20127 Trends to Watch in 2012
7 Trends to Watch in 2012HavasPR
 
What's Next for Western Europe
What's Next for Western EuropeWhat's Next for Western Europe
What's Next for Western EuropeHavasPR
 
10 Trends in Advertising and PR
10 Trends in Advertising and PR10 Trends in Advertising and PR
10 Trends in Advertising and PRHavasPR
 
Deciphering Consumer Trends and Their Impact on the Outdoor Industry
Deciphering Consumer Trends and Their Impact on the Outdoor IndustryDeciphering Consumer Trends and Their Impact on the Outdoor Industry
Deciphering Consumer Trends and Their Impact on the Outdoor IndustryHavasPR
 
Health, Media and Marketing: Trends for 2014
Health, Media and Marketing: Trends for 2014Health, Media and Marketing: Trends for 2014
Health, Media and Marketing: Trends for 2014HavasPR
 
The Age of the State of the Social Mind
The Age of the State of the Social MindThe Age of the State of the Social Mind
The Age of the State of the Social MindHavasPR
 
Reputation Management
Reputation ManagementReputation Management
Reputation ManagementHavasPR
 
Real Time Creativity
Real Time CreativityReal Time Creativity
Real Time CreativityHavasPR
 
Millenials As Consumers
Millenials As ConsumersMillenials As Consumers
Millenials As ConsumersHavasPR
 
How Social is Redefining Business
How Social is Redefining BusinessHow Social is Redefining Business
How Social is Redefining BusinessHavasPR
 
Consumer Insights and Social tools
Consumer Insights and Social toolsConsumer Insights and Social tools
Consumer Insights and Social toolsHavasPR
 
15 Trends for Marketing to Women Worldwide
15 Trends for Marketing to Women Worldwide15 Trends for Marketing to Women Worldwide
15 Trends for Marketing to Women WorldwideHavasPR
 
10 Trends for Bicycle Culture
10 Trends for Bicycle Culture10 Trends for Bicycle Culture
10 Trends for Bicycle CultureHavasPR
 
What's Next for Western Europe
What's Next for Western EuropeWhat's Next for Western Europe
What's Next for Western EuropeHavasPR
 
The Teenage Girl as Consumer and Communicator
The Teenage Girl as Consumer and CommunicatorThe Teenage Girl as Consumer and Communicator
The Teenage Girl as Consumer and CommunicatorHavasPR
 
Prosumer American Audit
Prosumer American AuditProsumer American Audit
Prosumer American AuditHavasPR
 
Newscrafting and Trendspotting
Newscrafting and TrendspottingNewscrafting and Trendspotting
Newscrafting and TrendspottingHavasPR
 
Millennials and Social Media
Millennials and Social MediaMillennials and Social Media
Millennials and Social MediaHavasPR
 
Social Life and Social Media
Social Life and Social MediaSocial Life and Social Media
Social Life and Social MediaHavasPR
 
The Future of Home
The Future of HomeThe Future of Home
The Future of HomeHavasPR
 

Plus de HavasPR (20)

7 Trends to Watch in 2012
7 Trends to Watch in 20127 Trends to Watch in 2012
7 Trends to Watch in 2012
 
What's Next for Western Europe
What's Next for Western EuropeWhat's Next for Western Europe
What's Next for Western Europe
 
10 Trends in Advertising and PR
10 Trends in Advertising and PR10 Trends in Advertising and PR
10 Trends in Advertising and PR
 
Deciphering Consumer Trends and Their Impact on the Outdoor Industry
Deciphering Consumer Trends and Their Impact on the Outdoor IndustryDeciphering Consumer Trends and Their Impact on the Outdoor Industry
Deciphering Consumer Trends and Their Impact on the Outdoor Industry
 
Health, Media and Marketing: Trends for 2014
Health, Media and Marketing: Trends for 2014Health, Media and Marketing: Trends for 2014
Health, Media and Marketing: Trends for 2014
 
The Age of the State of the Social Mind
The Age of the State of the Social MindThe Age of the State of the Social Mind
The Age of the State of the Social Mind
 
Reputation Management
Reputation ManagementReputation Management
Reputation Management
 
Real Time Creativity
Real Time CreativityReal Time Creativity
Real Time Creativity
 
Millenials As Consumers
Millenials As ConsumersMillenials As Consumers
Millenials As Consumers
 
How Social is Redefining Business
How Social is Redefining BusinessHow Social is Redefining Business
How Social is Redefining Business
 
Consumer Insights and Social tools
Consumer Insights and Social toolsConsumer Insights and Social tools
Consumer Insights and Social tools
 
15 Trends for Marketing to Women Worldwide
15 Trends for Marketing to Women Worldwide15 Trends for Marketing to Women Worldwide
15 Trends for Marketing to Women Worldwide
 
10 Trends for Bicycle Culture
10 Trends for Bicycle Culture10 Trends for Bicycle Culture
10 Trends for Bicycle Culture
 
What's Next for Western Europe
What's Next for Western EuropeWhat's Next for Western Europe
What's Next for Western Europe
 
The Teenage Girl as Consumer and Communicator
The Teenage Girl as Consumer and CommunicatorThe Teenage Girl as Consumer and Communicator
The Teenage Girl as Consumer and Communicator
 
Prosumer American Audit
Prosumer American AuditProsumer American Audit
Prosumer American Audit
 
Newscrafting and Trendspotting
Newscrafting and TrendspottingNewscrafting and Trendspotting
Newscrafting and Trendspotting
 
Millennials and Social Media
Millennials and Social MediaMillennials and Social Media
Millennials and Social Media
 
Social Life and Social Media
Social Life and Social MediaSocial Life and Social Media
Social Life and Social Media
 
The Future of Home
The Future of HomeThe Future of Home
The Future of Home
 

Dernier

BCE24 | Virtual Brand Ambassadors: Making Brands Personal - John Meulemans
BCE24 | Virtual Brand Ambassadors: Making Brands Personal - John MeulemansBCE24 | Virtual Brand Ambassadors: Making Brands Personal - John Meulemans
BCE24 | Virtual Brand Ambassadors: Making Brands Personal - John MeulemansBBPMedia1
 
7movierulz.uk
7movierulz.uk7movierulz.uk
7movierulz.ukaroemirsr
 
Lecture_6.pptx English speaking easyb to
Lecture_6.pptx English speaking easyb toLecture_6.pptx English speaking easyb to
Lecture_6.pptx English speaking easyb toumarfarooquejamali32
 
NASA CoCEI Scaling Strategy - November 2023
NASA CoCEI Scaling Strategy - November 2023NASA CoCEI Scaling Strategy - November 2023
NASA CoCEI Scaling Strategy - November 2023Steve Rader
 
PDT 88 - 4 million seed - Seed - Protecto.pdf
PDT 88 - 4 million seed - Seed - Protecto.pdfPDT 88 - 4 million seed - Seed - Protecto.pdf
PDT 88 - 4 million seed - Seed - Protecto.pdfHajeJanKamps
 
Fabric RFID Wristbands in Ireland for Events and Festivals
Fabric RFID Wristbands in Ireland for Events and FestivalsFabric RFID Wristbands in Ireland for Events and Festivals
Fabric RFID Wristbands in Ireland for Events and FestivalsWristbands Ireland
 
Amazon ppt.pptx Amazon about the company
Amazon ppt.pptx Amazon about the companyAmazon ppt.pptx Amazon about the company
Amazon ppt.pptx Amazon about the companyfashionfound007
 
Trauma Training Service for First Responders
Trauma Training Service for First RespondersTrauma Training Service for First Responders
Trauma Training Service for First RespondersBPOQe
 
The End of Business as Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consu...
The End of Business as Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consu...The End of Business as Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consu...
The End of Business as Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consu...Brian Solis
 
Live-Streaming in the Music Industry Webinar
Live-Streaming in the Music Industry WebinarLive-Streaming in the Music Industry Webinar
Live-Streaming in the Music Industry WebinarNathanielSchmuck
 
Cracking the ‘Business Process Outsourcing’ Code Main.pptx
Cracking the ‘Business Process Outsourcing’ Code Main.pptxCracking the ‘Business Process Outsourcing’ Code Main.pptx
Cracking the ‘Business Process Outsourcing’ Code Main.pptxWorkforce Group
 
Personal Brand Exploration Presentation Eric Bonilla
Personal Brand Exploration Presentation Eric BonillaPersonal Brand Exploration Presentation Eric Bonilla
Personal Brand Exploration Presentation Eric BonillaEricBonilla13
 
A flour, rice and Suji company in Jhang.
A flour, rice and Suji company in Jhang.A flour, rice and Suji company in Jhang.
A flour, rice and Suji company in Jhang.mcshagufta46
 
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024Borderless Access
 
Upgrade Your Banking Experience with Advanced Core Banking Applications
Upgrade Your Banking Experience with Advanced Core Banking ApplicationsUpgrade Your Banking Experience with Advanced Core Banking Applications
Upgrade Your Banking Experience with Advanced Core Banking ApplicationsIntellect Design Arena Ltd
 
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024Borderless Access
 
NewBase 25 March 2024 Energy News issue - 1710 by Khaled Al Awadi_compress...
NewBase  25 March  2024  Energy News issue - 1710 by Khaled Al Awadi_compress...NewBase  25 March  2024  Energy News issue - 1710 by Khaled Al Awadi_compress...
NewBase 25 March 2024 Energy News issue - 1710 by Khaled Al Awadi_compress...Khaled Al Awadi
 
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISING
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISINGUNLEASHING THE POWER OF PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISING
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISINGlokeshwarmaha
 
Introduction to The overview of GAAP LO 1-5.pptx
Introduction to The overview of GAAP LO 1-5.pptxIntroduction to The overview of GAAP LO 1-5.pptx
Introduction to The overview of GAAP LO 1-5.pptxJemalSeid25
 

Dernier (20)

BCE24 | Virtual Brand Ambassadors: Making Brands Personal - John Meulemans
BCE24 | Virtual Brand Ambassadors: Making Brands Personal - John MeulemansBCE24 | Virtual Brand Ambassadors: Making Brands Personal - John Meulemans
BCE24 | Virtual Brand Ambassadors: Making Brands Personal - John Meulemans
 
7movierulz.uk
7movierulz.uk7movierulz.uk
7movierulz.uk
 
Lecture_6.pptx English speaking easyb to
Lecture_6.pptx English speaking easyb toLecture_6.pptx English speaking easyb to
Lecture_6.pptx English speaking easyb to
 
NASA CoCEI Scaling Strategy - November 2023
NASA CoCEI Scaling Strategy - November 2023NASA CoCEI Scaling Strategy - November 2023
NASA CoCEI Scaling Strategy - November 2023
 
PDT 88 - 4 million seed - Seed - Protecto.pdf
PDT 88 - 4 million seed - Seed - Protecto.pdfPDT 88 - 4 million seed - Seed - Protecto.pdf
PDT 88 - 4 million seed - Seed - Protecto.pdf
 
Fabric RFID Wristbands in Ireland for Events and Festivals
Fabric RFID Wristbands in Ireland for Events and FestivalsFabric RFID Wristbands in Ireland for Events and Festivals
Fabric RFID Wristbands in Ireland for Events and Festivals
 
Amazon ppt.pptx Amazon about the company
Amazon ppt.pptx Amazon about the companyAmazon ppt.pptx Amazon about the company
Amazon ppt.pptx Amazon about the company
 
Trauma Training Service for First Responders
Trauma Training Service for First RespondersTrauma Training Service for First Responders
Trauma Training Service for First Responders
 
The End of Business as Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consu...
The End of Business as Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consu...The End of Business as Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consu...
The End of Business as Usual: Rewire the Way You Work to Succeed in the Consu...
 
Live-Streaming in the Music Industry Webinar
Live-Streaming in the Music Industry WebinarLive-Streaming in the Music Industry Webinar
Live-Streaming in the Music Industry Webinar
 
Cracking the ‘Business Process Outsourcing’ Code Main.pptx
Cracking the ‘Business Process Outsourcing’ Code Main.pptxCracking the ‘Business Process Outsourcing’ Code Main.pptx
Cracking the ‘Business Process Outsourcing’ Code Main.pptx
 
Personal Brand Exploration Presentation Eric Bonilla
Personal Brand Exploration Presentation Eric BonillaPersonal Brand Exploration Presentation Eric Bonilla
Personal Brand Exploration Presentation Eric Bonilla
 
WAM Corporate Presentation Mar 25 2024.pdf
WAM Corporate Presentation Mar 25 2024.pdfWAM Corporate Presentation Mar 25 2024.pdf
WAM Corporate Presentation Mar 25 2024.pdf
 
A flour, rice and Suji company in Jhang.
A flour, rice and Suji company in Jhang.A flour, rice and Suji company in Jhang.
A flour, rice and Suji company in Jhang.
 
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024
 
Upgrade Your Banking Experience with Advanced Core Banking Applications
Upgrade Your Banking Experience with Advanced Core Banking ApplicationsUpgrade Your Banking Experience with Advanced Core Banking Applications
Upgrade Your Banking Experience with Advanced Core Banking Applications
 
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024
Borderless Access - Global B2B Panel book-unlock 2024
 
NewBase 25 March 2024 Energy News issue - 1710 by Khaled Al Awadi_compress...
NewBase  25 March  2024  Energy News issue - 1710 by Khaled Al Awadi_compress...NewBase  25 March  2024  Energy News issue - 1710 by Khaled Al Awadi_compress...
NewBase 25 March 2024 Energy News issue - 1710 by Khaled Al Awadi_compress...
 
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISING
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISINGUNLEASHING THE POWER OF PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISING
UNLEASHING THE POWER OF PROGRAMMATIC ADVERTISING
 
Introduction to The overview of GAAP LO 1-5.pptx
Introduction to The overview of GAAP LO 1-5.pptxIntroduction to The overview of GAAP LO 1-5.pptx
Introduction to The overview of GAAP LO 1-5.pptx
 

Love (And Sex) in the Age of Social Media

  • 1. LOVE(AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
  • 3. Romance and sex used to be private and shrouded in mystery: i.e., practiced behind closed doors. Back in the early days of popular novels, moralists warned that romantic fiction would put dangerous ideas into people’s heads, inflame their imaginations and stoke lewd desires. Once moving pictures became a popular pastime, the same strictures were applied to them. The U.S. Motion Picture Production Code of 1930 (Hays Code) presented strict guidelines on the subject, including: “excessive and lustful kissing, lustful embraces, suggestive postures and gestures, are not to be shown” and “in general, passion should so be treated that these scenes do not stimulate the lower and baser element.”1 Similar moral impulses tried to tone down the performances of hip-swiveling Elvis “The Pelvis” Presley in the 1950s; his hip gyrations were just too much, too much. Oh, if those moralists of yore could only see us now… In free societies, no amount of moralizing could hold back the tide of what people respond to. Mass media have made romance, lust and love normal parts of everyday life. Through several generations now, hundreds of millions of people all round the world have had mass-media heartthrobs to fall in love with. Books, magazines, movies, songs, radio and TV have exposed us all to different ideas—”memes”—about what’s normal and what’s possible in intimate relationships. Traditional media, subject to the limits of legislation and distribution, have been somewhat controllable. But the Internet? That’s a whole ’nother story.The Internet gives everyone everywhere pretty much unrestricted access to any imaginable aspect of intimate relationships. Virtually any romantic or erotic content an individual might imagine is on the Internet and can be found with just a few clicks. And now social media gives people instant access not only to romantic and erotic content, but also to each other. It’s often said that the mind is the biggest erogenous zone of the body. In that case, the Internet is the most powerful erogenous zone the world has ever known. Novels, movies, music and TV were just a foretaste of the impact the Internet has had already (and will have in the future) on intimate relationships, on relationships more generally—and beyond that, on the way we live our lives. In this paper we look at five key aspects of how Americans think about online romance through the prism of an online survey of 1,000 Americans online, carried out for Euro RSCG in January 2011. WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 3
  • 4. Regular use of the Internet has got many of us wondering about one of the favorite themes of philosophers and science fiction, from Buddha and Plato to The Matrix: What is reality? The difference being that in this case it’s not just a head-in-the-clouds academic issue—it’s a real, live practical question for ordinary people every day. The language we use reveals the confusion, as we make a distinction between things happening on the Internet and things happening “in real life.” So are things people do online “real,” “unreal”—or something else? There are some cases that are beyond discussion: Breaking a leg or catching a sexually transmitted disease in “real life” has far more tangible consequences than getting hurt or infected in a virtual world (although computer viruses can be devastating). But in other areas the lines are not so clear. Many different “real life” products and activities can migrate partially or wholly online—not just books, music and movies, but also medical consultations, education, jobs, careers and even warfare. The more people become used to spending time online, the more normal it feels to be seeking out important things in life online as well as offline. That includes love in all its forms. In fact, the increasing scope for interactions online is forcing us to expand our notions of what the word “love” means. 4 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA OBSERVING LOVE ONLINE
  • 5. What’s called “love” in books and songs and movies and conversation is hard to pin down. It’s actually a whole range of feelings and relationships: “Eros” (lustful erotic love); “Mania” (obsessive love); “Lludus” (conquests and deception): “Storge” (natural affection); “Philos” (friendship love); “Pragma” (practical love) and “Agape” (spiritual love).2 At first glance, it seems most of these types of love require physical proximity, but on further consideration, maybe they don’t after all. Perhaps some—or even most—types of love can transpire online. As people become more adept at online interactions, and more online tools become available, some of these forms of love will grow as naturally online as they have done offline. Love online - Agreement with the statement: It’s possible to have a romantic relationship with someone on the Internet. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 41% 28% 29% 46% 37% 29% 21% 52% Plenty of Americans think that it’s possible to have a romantic relationship with someone on the Internet—overall one third agree (34 percent).There’s a big difference between men and women (41 percent versus 28 percent), which indicates that more women than men need a physical connection to make the romance work for them.There’s a clear generational difference, too; the younger the cohort, the more of them see online romantic relationships as possible. And even 21 percent of Matures see the possibility. Love online - Agreement with the statement: It’s possible to have an erotic relationship with someone on the Internet. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 39% 27% 26% 43% 36% 29% 21% 53% WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 5 “The increasing scope for interactions online is forcing us to expand our notions of what the word ‘love’ means. ”
  • 6. There’s very little difference in the percentages of respondents who see the possibility for erotic relationships online, with 33 percent agreeing overall. Prosumers are far more likely to see the possibility for both romantic and erotic relationships. Love online - Agreement with the statement: I know somebody whose relationship started with online interactions. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 49% 52% 47% 66% 57% 43% 26% 80% Love online - Agreement with the statement: Online dating has become normal/mainstream. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 53% 55% 49% 65% 60% 47% 30% 69% The real impact is where online and offline mix—where one leads to the other. Overall, half the sample (50 percent) knows somebody whose relationship started with online interactions, and more than half (53 percent) think online dating has become normal/mainstream.There’s a clear generational gradient here, as well:The younger the cohort, the more the agreement. Impressive proportions of Boomers (43 percent) and Matures (26 percent) know somebody whose relationship started with online interactions. 6 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA “More women than men need a physical connection to make the romance work for them. ”
  • 7. A lot of the resistance and hostility to activities online stems from lack of familiarity with the technologies, the interfaces and the modes of interacting. Online is a new and different space with different cultural norms that we have to learn and adapt to, just as we learn and adapt to the culture of a new town, a new company or a new social set. We have all seen media pieces about what people do on the Internet (and now we have seen the back story, too, via The Social Network). But as much as we’ve heard other people talking about it, it’s all hearsay and theory until we have experienced it for ourselves. It’s when personal experience comes into the equation that consumers become active and energized, exploring for themselves, swapping tips with friends and driving the online activity that translates into big shifts in behavior. Love online - Agreement with the statement: I have flirted with somebody online. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 39% 23% 18% 49% 37% 22% 8% 51% WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 7 EXPERIENCING LOVE ONLINE “More men than women engage in online flirting—or at least admit to it. ”
  • 8. Not everybody starts out as a vocal, prolific poster of online comments. For many people the first big challenge in social networking online is venturing to say anything at all in spaces where there may be strangers and it’s not possible to read other people’s mood and reactions easily. Then, once people get comfortable with basic online interactions, they move on to the sort of interactions that are a little riskier even offline, let alone online: joking, arguing and flirting. More men than women engage in online flirting—or at least admit to it; a substantial 39 percent of men in the survey say they have flirted with somebody online, compared with a more modest 23 percent of women. The question is whether the gap between the two would be wider or narrower in face-to-face interactions. For women, one big plus of flirting online is that there’s less physical risk if things get out of hand. Not surprisingly, the frequency of this online behavior correlates with age; the younger the cohort, the more they have flirted online. Still, it’s impressive that 8 percent of Matures have flirted online, too. Love online - Agreement with the statement: I have experienced strong feelings of attraction for somebody online. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 26% 14% 12% 30% 23% 15% 9% 35% For people unfamiliar with or skeptical of online interactions, it may be hard to imagine feeling anything much for someone in whose physical presence you have never been (and may never be). However, as people interact online, feelings are stirred up. And why not? It’s not at all unusual for people to have strong feelings about other people they’ll never meet in person, such as popular actors, musicians and authors, so why not people online with whom you’re able to have an actual conversation? More than a quarter of men (26 percent) and 14 percent of women say that they have experienced strong feelings of attraction for somebody online. The fact that even 9 percent of the Matures have experienced strong feelings of attraction for somebody online indicates that what happens on the Internet can put a twinkle in older eyes, too. Love online - Agreement with the statement: I have had a romantic, sexual or erotic relationship online. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 22% 12% 12% 24% 22% 10% 7% 32% 8 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA “Engaging in relationships online may risk making people less available for relationships with people close to them. ”
  • 9. One thing that makes social media crucially different from traditional media is the potential for interactions with real people. People have always felt strongly attracted to remote figures in books, in pictures or TV and movie screens. In most cases it’s not regarded as unusual for people of any age to “have a thing” about some media figure who is, for all practical purposes, purely virtual; it’s one-way only. Now with social media, a similar phenomenon is happening—except that it’s two-way. The parties interact; they respond to each other. It may well be less concrete and “real” than meeting a person in the same physical space, but it’s more of a real relationship than is possible with a celebrity. A solid 22 percent of the men and 12 percent of the women say they have had a romantic, sexual or erotic relationship online. WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 9
  • 10. Hundreds of millions of people are now using the Internet as a tool for living, or rather as a whole range of tools for different aspects of life. As the great media and communications theorist Marshall McLuhan observed, “We become what we behold. We shape our tools, and then our tools shape us.” And true to McLuhan’s statement, consumers are finding that online services can be shaped into great tools to meet their various “love” needs to some degree: connection, interaction, recognition and affection, not forgetting arousal and passion. Many in today’s world are concerned about the ways in which these tools seem to be shaping the users. Front and center of these worries is pornography, known euphemistically as “adult content,” although “adult” is a moot point: Many sites boast “barely legal teens,” and teenage boys are widely identified as big consumers of porn. As former AOL editor-in- chief Jesse Kornbluth commented: “Porn and teenage boys have been inseparable since the beginning of time. The Internet offers more extreme porn than the airbrushed Playboy images I grew up on, but that’s not a reason to get unduly riled. I’m much more concerned about porn and adult males, many of whom seem to use it as a substitute for real relationships. Substitution quickly becomes distance, and distance becomes an unbridgeable chasm—and the porn-obsessed masturbator develops an unhealthy view of sex and women.”3 10 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA THE EFFECTS OF LOVE AND SEX ONLINE
  • 11. According to Gizmodo, 40 million Americans are regular visitors to porn sites and one third of visitors are women; 25 percent of search engine requests are pornographic and 35 percent of downloads are pornographic.4 Clearly, there’s a lot of sexual content being consumed, so we can expect the effects to be reflected in at least some of our large representative sample. Love online - Agreement with the statement: Discussions on the Internet have influenced how I think about sex. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 15% 8% 8% 23% 14% 6% 5% 21% Love online - Agreement with the statement: Images on the Internet have influenced how I think about sex. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 26% 9% 13% 33% 21% 9% 4% 36% Both discussions and images of sex on the Internet have influenced men more than women, but images have a bigger influence all around. Almost twice as many men as women (15 percent versus 8 percent) say discussions on the Internet have influenced how they think about sex. However, the impact of images on the Internet is far more striking; almost three times as many men as women (26 percent versus 9 percent) say images on the Internet have influenced how they think about sex. Among Married respondents and for each generational cohort except Matures, around 50 percent more have been influenced by images than by discussions. WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 11 “Social media has lessened the time, money and effort of searching for partners and increased the likely success rate. ”
  • 12. Love online - Agreement with the statement: Online relationships can take the pressure off face-to-face relationships. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 31% 28% 26% 44% 33% 24% 13% 49% Love online - Agreement with the statement: Online relationships can be too much of a distraction from face-to-face relationships. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 34% 37% 36% 41% 38% 30% 41% 40% Whether relationships are on- or offline, they take time, attention and care. We see a great deal of ambivalence about the positive and negative effects online relationships can have on face-to-face relationships. On the positive side, online relationships may act as a safety valve, enabling a person to experience or express things that might not have a place in their face-to-face relationships. Similar percentages of men and women (31 percent and 28 percent) agree that online relationships can take the pressure off face- to-face relationships. Significantly, this thought resonates with more than a quarter of married respondents (26 percent). On the negative side, engaging in relationships online may risk making people less available for relationships with people close to them. Here, too, similar percentages of men and women (34 percent and 37 percent) agree that online relationships can be too much of a distraction from face-to-face relationships. This thought earns agreement from 36 percent of married respondents. Comparing the two sets of responses yields two important insights. Firstly, more men than women see online relationships as having positive effects on face-to-face relationships, and more women than men see such relationships as having negative effects. Secondly, across most segments, except Gen Y and Prosumers, more respondents see the negative effects than the positive. For Gen Y the positive balance of online relationships is slight; for Prosumers, it’s wider. 12 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA “There are plenty of sites aimed at people looking for something other than a serious committed relationship… ”
  • 13. What’s the real state of American relationships now? The official statistics indicate a marriage rate of 7.9 marriages per 1,000 Americans and a divorce rate of 3.9 5, which suggests a divorce rate of more than half the marriage rate, but it’s not quite that straightforward. The divorce rate in first marriages is 41 percent, in second marriages it’s 60 percent, and in third marriage it’s 73 percent.6 For cyber-alarmists with short memories, let’s not forget that divorce rates in the United States were on the rise long before the Internet was being widely used. For many decades, Americans’ commitment to family values has had to slug it out with their beliefs in freedom, consumer choice and new beginnings—and the balance has apparently tipped towards freedom and choice. And now that the Internet is impacting every aspect of life, it’s highly likely that it’s having an impact on relationships and break-ups too. Just as the Internet has made it a lot easier to find rare books and discontinued spare parts, so has it eased the search for romantic partners. In fact, one need not even actively be looking—our e-mail inboxes are bombarded daily with offers from Russian brides, hot singles and lonely housewives. For anybody with even a little curiosity, romantic connections are never more than a click or two away. The law of averages surely makes it likely that more people now than before will be tempted to check out who else is available, with a possibility that this increased illicit behavior may lead to more divorce. WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 13 CYBER-CHEATING
  • 14. After all, social media has lessened the time, money and effort of searching for partners and increased the likely success rate. Even people who are married or in a stable relationship can keep looking for more attractive partners; they can stay in the market, either looking for opportunities to cheat or else for a completely new relationship. Aside from the mainstream matching sites such as eHarmony.com and Match.com, there are plenty of sites aimed at people looking for something other than a serious committed relationship: websites such as AshleyMadison.com (“Life is short. Have an affair.”)7, Liketocheat.com and Affairlink.com invite extramarital encounters. The jury is still out on whether the potential for cyber-cheating is rocking the marital boat. Economist Todd D. Kendall ran analyses of large-scale data sets (from 2003, hence before social media), looking for correlations between Internet penetration rates and divorce rates. He found no clear evidence that the rise of the Internet has increased divorce but added “the results presented in this paper can only identify short-term effects of Internet access, leaving open the possibility of different or opposite long-term effect. Certainly, the Internet makes romantic search much easier and hence likely to become more widespread.” As Kendall points out, for married people using the Internet to look for extramarital affairs, the Internet increases privacy and reduces the chances of being caught.8 However, people who feel positively about their current situation are less likely to look around than people who don’t feel as positive. So as an indicator for potential cyber- cheating, we looked at how Americans feel in their current relationship situation. Please check all that apply to how you feel in your current relationship status. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 Fulfilled 28% 32% 43% 25% 32% 30% 32% 26% Settled 36% 40% 50% 28% 41% 36% 48% 30% Bored 16% 12% 8% 20% 16% 12% 3% 19% Open to better offers 17% 13% 4% 22% 16% 14% 3% 17% Looking to spice things up 25% 24% 21% 32% 33% 19% 6% 40% The results show that there is a lot of potential for relationship shake-ups bubbling under the surface in the United States. Above all, there’s a very significant minority (overall 25 percent) looking to “spice things up.” Half of married Americans (50 percent) feel settled in their relationship status but fewer of them (43 percent) feel fulfilled. In fact, 8 percent feel bored in their relationship and although just 4 percent are open to better offers, a substantial 21 percent are looking to “spice things up.” 14 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA “There is a lot of potential for relationship shake- ups bubbling under the surface in the United States. ”
  • 15. The bellwether Prosumers point to more casting round for a change of relationship; fewer of them feel fulfilled (26 percent versus 30 percent of non-Prosumers) or settled (30 percent versus 39 percent of non-Prosumers), more of them feel bored (19 percent versus 14 percent of non-Prosumers), and far more of them are looking to spice things up (40 percent versus 23 percent). Cheating online - Agreement with the statement: The Internet has made it easier for people to cheat on their partners. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 62% 65% 65% 67% 64% 65% 55% 79% Cheating online - Agreement with the statement: I know somebody whose relationship ended because of their actions online. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 31% 30% 29% 49% 32% 27% 8% 55% Cheating online - Agreement with the statement: Having a strongly sexual relationship online doesn’t count as cheating on your partner. Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 6% 4% 6% 4% 6% 6% 2% 4% More than half of Americans of all conditions think the Internet has made it easier for people to cheat on their partners. Even among the Matures (aged 65 and over), more than half (55 percent) agree that the Internet has made cheating easier.7 How much of that is supposition, how much is observation, and how much is personal experience? A strikingly high proportion of the overall sample (31 percent) knows somebody whose relationship ended because of their actions online. This is a huge impact for technologies that have been truly mainstream for barely a decade. The impact has been observed most by the youngest cohort (49 percent) but even among the over-65s, it’s on the radar of 8 percent. On the sticky question of online sexual relationships, the great majority of Americans disagree that “Having a strongly sexual relationship online doesn’t count as cheating on your partner.” However, not all Americans disagree; 6 percent agree that online sex doesn’t count as cheating. WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 15 “More than half of Americans…think the Internet has made it easier for people to cheat on their partners. ”
  • 16. Finding satisfactory romantic partners is one of those eternal human challenges, and modern life hasn’t made it any easier. Increased mobility makes for stretched and fractured social circles; each new move means more time and effort building new social ties that may provide or lead to romantic possibilities. Busier lifestyles leave less time for hanging out and building relationships. Consumer culture encourages people to expect more and look around for better deals if they’re not satisfied; the same thinking easily transfers to personal relationships. Pretty early on in the life of the Web, people realized that the Internet offered plenty of scope for helping people find romantic partners; that is not a new phenomena. Almost a decade ago, in 2002, Wired magazine noted the growth of online dating (“Today, one in five singles looks for love on the Web”) and forecast that it would become the norm within a couple of decades: “Twenty years from now, the idea that someone looking for love won’t look for it online will be silly, akin to skipping the card catalog to instead wander the stacks because ‘the right books are found only by accident’ … After all, how likely is it that the book of your dreams will just fall off the shelf and into your arms?”9 Online dating site Match.com launched way back in 199510, eHarmony started its online activities in 200011 and PlentyofFish started in 200412. Nichier sites have been around a long while, too.The Jewish dating site JDate.com was founded in 199713, the LGBT site Gay.com launched in 1996.14 And these rub virtual shoulders with a bewildering range of sites offering romantic matching for all imaginable niches: vegetarians, Catholics, geeks, deaf and ASL people, golf nuts,Trekkies and even Mac fans.15 To echo Wired’s point, with so many options for finding romantic partners online why would anybody with Internet access not make use of them? 16 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TYPES OF SITES THAT SCORE
  • 17. A paper presented to the American Sociological Association in 2010 said that the Internet is “unambiguously gaining importance over time as a place where couples meet.” The authors said that in the coming years the Internet could eclipse friends as the most influential way Americans meet their romantic partner.16 Commenting on his findings, co-author Michael J. Rosenfeld, an associate professor of sociology at Stanford University, said: “the Internet is a friend to everybody who is looking for something that’s hard to find […] And that’s true whether you’re looking for parts for a ’57 Chevy, or a partner who has some attributes that are uncommon.”17 There’s no longer any question that the Internet is increasingly becoming the go-to place for people seeking a romantic partner of any sort. But which bits of the Internet look like the best bets? Could you imagine this type of site/media leading you into some kind of romantic or erotic relationship? – Answering probably/definitely Men Women Married Gen Y Gen X Boomers Matures Prosumers N= 500 500 515 181 336 389 94 108 Fulfilled 28% 32% 43% 25% 32% 30% 32% 26% General social networking sites (e.g., Facebook) 32% 22% 24% 40% 31% 21% 11% 52% Match-making sites (e.g., Match, eHarmony) 30% 22% 22% 34% 33% 19% 14% 37% E-mail 30% 20% 23% 27% 29% 22% 20% 33% Dating sites 28% 20% 20% 30% 32% 17% 12% 32% Specialist social networking sites (e.g., Flickr) 19% 10% 13% 18% 20% 11% 6% 28% Adult sites 21% 7% 12% 15% 19% 11% 9% 22% Chat services (e.g., MSN, AIM, Skype) 21% 12% 13% 23% 23% 11% 4% 22% Blogs or discussion forums 17% 11% 13% 16% 16% 12% 10% 21% Classified services (e.g., Craigslist) 16% 6% 9% 14% 15% 9% 2% 19% Location-based services (e.g., FourSquare) 15% 8% 10% 17% 13% 10% 4% 19% Brand-based site 16% 7% 10% 12% 15% 8% 9% 19% The specialist sites and media each have their fans as places with a good chance of leading to a relationship, but top of them all are general social networking sites such as Facebook. These sites are by far the most promising for the youngest cohort of Gen Y (40 percent) and for Prosumers (52 percent). Prosumers consistently rated all the different channels higher than other groups, but the margin is particularly wide for general social networking sites. Men rated every channel significantly higher than women; it seems that, across the board, men are more optimistic than women about their prospects with online matchmaking and dating. WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 17 “Consumer culture encourages people to expect more and look around for better deals if they’re not satisfied… ”
  • 18. GENDERS—EQUALLY ONLINE, BUT DIFFERENT We’re long past the days when the Internet and computers can be cast as the domain of men (i.e., boys and their toys). Women are fully present on the Internet; still, there’s no getting away from gender differences in attitudes and the things men and women do online. According to Aaron Smith, a research specialist at the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a few years ago men were more likely than women to be online, but that’s no longer the case. “In general, a lot of the general gender differences in Internet usage that we saw have pretty much gone away … It tends to show up more in the applications they use than whether they go online and whether they have a computer.” The fact that an increasing percentage of relationships and marriages started with online connections proves that serious numbers of women are seeking and finding romantic connections online. However, our survey shows that consistently more men than women are positive about every aspect of online romance. Significantly more men than women think that every type of electronic/online interaction can lead to some kind of erotic or romantic relationship, and that it’s possible to have romantic or erotic relationships on the Internet. Words and images on the Internet have influenced thinking about sex for significantly more men than women, and far more men than women have flirted with, been strongly attracted or had a love relationship with somebody online. The higher percentages of men pursuing romance online should not be interpreted as meaning that women are not interested in making a whole gamut of romantic connections online; the percentages for women are lower, but they’re still substantial. What’s more, 18 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA WHAT IT ALL MEANS
  • 19. the lower numbers of women may give an advantage to the ones who are actively searching online, because online dating and matching services are essentially sophisticated marketplaces bringing supply and demand together. If women are in shorter supply than men, then their bargaining power should be greater; they should be in a stronger position to be picky.Theoretically, online searching gives women greater quality control.They can check out potential romantic partners and go through some of the preliminaries from a safe distance, with far less risk of getting creeped out, groped or worse on a first date. ONLINE ROMANCE—BLUSH NO MORE Online dating is no longer weird—in fact, it’s smart. It’s no longer the geeky or desperate exception, it’s the mainstream and increasingly plain vanilla norm. Not all consumers have had direct personal experience with it yet—at least not that they will admit to—but plenty know people who have, and even more have read or heard about people who have. In a world where prominent tattoos and piercings have moved from the fringes towards almost-normal, and where people hold loud cell-phone conversations in public places, online dating hardly merits a raised eyebrow—unless it’s for something on the edge of the moral map. GENERATIONS—DON’T WRITE OFF THE SENIORS On virtually every metric in our survey, positive and not-so-positive attitudes towards online romance correlate directly with age; Gen Y tends to be more positive than Gen X, who are more positive than Boomers, and they’re more positive than Matures. This is not at all unexpected. Gen Y was born into life online; Gen X came to it in young adulthood; Boomers spent more than half of their lives in a pre-online world; and if Matures speak digital, it’s with an analog accent. For Gen Y online is “d’oh”, for Matures it’s “Are you sure?” WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 19 “More men than women think that … it’s possible to have romantic or erotic relationships on the Internet. ”
  • 20. The mating agenda is far different for younger cohorts than for older. For Gen Y, it’s all about checking out the full range of who’s available, playing the field, trying partners out and maybe hoping to find the One for a serious relationship. For Gen X, there are far fewer first-timers and far more who have had at least one serious relationship (with the scars to prove it) and are looking for a change or a whole new start. For Boomers, very few are first-timers and many are hoping that they’ve still got what it takes for romance. Whatever fantasies Matures may have must be tempered by what they see in the mirror and what their physician’s report tells them. The urges and the energy of younger cohorts in online dating can be pretty much taken as read; it offers great opportunities to meet their needs. However, the response of Boomers and Matures is very encouraging for any business offering romance-related products or services online. As these huge demographics age and live on—and on, and on—and time takes its toll on their old connections, they will need new connections. For older people who may not feel like cruising singles bars or ready for senior speed dating, online services will be a new lease on romantic life. THE SOFT-SELL MEETS THE MIGHT-BE-INTERESTED Prosumers are consistently ahead of the curve on most trends, so it’s particularly intriguing that a majority of them rate general social networking sites such as Facebook as offering great chances of leading to romance. General social networking sites also emerge as top for men, women, Marrieds and Gen Y. Specialist matchmaking sites also score strongly, but nowhere near as strongly among Prosumers and Gen Y. 20 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA “The big difference between general social networking sites and dedicated dating sites is the difference between a neighborhood bar and singles bar. ”
  • 21. The big difference between general social networking sites and dedicated dating sites is the difference between a neighborhood bar and singles bar. In general networking sites and the neighborhood bar, people go along to socialize, to hang out, to meet old friends and maybe make new friends, to chat and maybe play games with other people. It may be that the interactions lead organically to romantic connections. In the singles bar and the online dating site, people are there with a clear agenda: to find a romantic partner. The social networking site is about interaction; the dating site is about transaction. The people who are most at home online—Gen Y and Prosumers—are the ones who are most likely to regard online as just another space, with its own characteristics, where they can do what they feel like naturally. Others may still be more inclined to see online services as being about transactions and getting things done. BRANDS: A THIRD WHEEL? The space where would-be romancers meet is controlled and strongly branded by the site owners—Facebook, Match.com, etc.—and it’s the site owners who provide the value in terms of features and functionality. Whether visiting a dating site or a general social networking site, consumers are there to meet and interact with each other. They’re looking for a “product,” for sure, but the product they’re seeking is a unique individual person who matches their hopes and desires as near as possible. They’re probably looking for a “deal,” but the deal they’re seeking is with another person willing to trade time and attention and goodwill and maybe more. If the romantic encounter were taking place in a physical space, then brands would surely have their place; food, drink, apparel, fragrance, personal care and maybe in due course more intimate products. But in the virtual space of online interactions, what’s the scope for brands to find a place? Which brands can bring value to the party? How can brands be present and add value without being a third wheel? WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA 21 “Whether visiting a dating site or a general social networking site, consumers are there to meet and interact with each other. ”
  • 22. ENDNOTES: 1 http://www.artsreformation.com/a001/hays-code.html 2 http://www.psywww.com/intropsych/ch16_sfl/six_types_of_love.html 3 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-matlack/perspectives-on-pornograp_b_633647.html 4 http://gizmodo.com/5552899/finally-some-actual-stats-on-internet-porn 5 http://divorce.lovetoknow.com/Divorce_Rates 6 http://marriage101.org/divorce-rates-in-america/ 7 http://www.ashleymadison.com/cheating/affair-guarantee-package.html 8 http://www.toddkendall.net/internetdiv.pdf 9 http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.11/view.html?pg=2 10 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match.com - 11 http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/history/eharmonyhistory.html 12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlentyofFish 13 http://what-is-what.com/what_is/jdate.html 14 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay.com 15 http://cupidtino.com/ 16 http://www.asanet.org/press/Internet_Access_and_Relationships.cfm PHOTO CREDITS: 22 WHITE PAPER: LOVE (AND SEX) IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Cover: creativecommons.org/schatz Inside front: creativecommons.org/Oneras Page 3: (from top) creativecommons.org/ Enokson; Dimitri N.; Camdi luv ,O AmmyLynn Page 4 (from top) creativecommons.org/ VideoVillain; Page 5: (from left to right) creativecommons.org/ jessica mullen; bettyx1138 Page 6: creativecommons.org/ titlap Page 7: creativecommons.org/ Nick Douglas Page 9: creativecommons.org/ Rob Boudon Page 10: creativecommons.org/dadevoti Page 11: creativecommons.org/ stuartpilbrow Page 12: creativecommons.org/certified su Page 13: creativecommons.org/ denharsh Page 16: creativecommons.org/ dissuadedotorg Page 18: creativecommons.org/ Rob Boudon Page 19: creativecommons.org/ Ed Yourdon Page 20: creativecommons.org/ Mike the Moutain
  • 23. This white paper is the sixth in a series of thought leadership pursuits by Euro RSCG Worldwide PR. In October 2009, Euro RSCG Worldwide commissioned a survey to map the trajectory of social life and social media usage in the United States, quizzing 1,228 Americans. A white paper looked at the macro developments in social media and drew conclusions and implications for marketers and their clients. Our company conducted an additional survey of 600 Americans about social media and health care. We presented our findings at an FDA hearing on promoting FDA-regulated medical products online and through social media. To get a copy of the white paper, please go to our Social Life and Social Media website. Shortly thereafter, seeking to better understand how teen girls spend, socialize and communicate, Euro RSCG Worldwide PR commissioned a survey of 100 teenage girls nationwide aged 13 to 18. A March 2010 white paper presented the proprietary study’s findings in the context of today’s communications and business worlds as they are increasingly dominated by social and other digital media. We used the information we gathered to launch The Sisterhood, an agency within an agency that is an insight group to help define the teenage female consumer’s ideas in fashion and beyond. To get a copy of the white paper, please go to The Sisterhood website. Euro RSCG Worldwide PR and Euro RSCG Life, the health-focused communications network of Euro RSCG Worldwide, commissioned the online “mood monitor” survey of 386 Americans in February 2010 that also led to a white paper. The survey showed that people’s interest in a raft of weighty matters had grown in the previous 12 to 18 months. And on many points, particularly related to money, Americans tended to net out far more pessimistic than optimistic on subjects such as quality of life, employment, real estate and schools. Euro RSCG commissioned a similar poll in the bellwether state of Connecticut. For a copy of the reports, please go to the White Papers page of the Euro RSCG PR website. In summer 2010, ERWW PR took part in a five-country study by Euro RSCG Social that looked at how millennials (people aged 18 to 25) are making themselves felt in the workplace, consumer markets and politics. The biggest bottom line in the survey: Young people across the world think the world needs changing, and they’re confident social media will give them the power to accomplish that change. To download the report based on the study, please go to our Social Life and Social Media website. A new report built on the same study, discussing differences between genders in that age group, launched this fall. In January 2011, for the study “Male in the U.S.A.,” Euro RSCG drew on its long history of marketing to men—including the popularization of “metrosexual” in 2003—plus the results of recent proprietary studies, independent research and insights gained through ERWW PR’s global trendspotting network, connecting the dots between all of them. Men in the United States today have many differences, but there are commonalities, and the paper addresses both. To try to accurately illustrate a portrait of the American man, it looks at demographics, the wealth illusion, the effects of the recession, male icons in Hollywood and beyond. A conclusion offers a list of 10 points helping to define the American male in 2011. To read this report, please go to the White Papers page of the Euro RSCG PR website. And for “Sex (and Love) in the Social Media Age,” we drew on the results of a proprietary online survey of 1,000 Americans, plus the research and insights we gain via our extensive trendspotting work to tackle the new realities of intimacy. Through such research and analysis, we are addressing topics that are not only imperative to our clients and our own growth but are also driving news about the future. The studies are places to listen and learn. They’re propelling momentum for companies, brands and causes. They’re satisfying the new value exchange, where consumers want brands that listen, converse and enable them. Please join us in the conversation. Marian Salzman President Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, North America 200 Madison Avenue, 2nd floor New York, NY 10016 http://www.eurorscgpr.com P: 212-367-6811 E: marian.salzman@eurorscg.com T: @mariansalzman