Study: Social Networking Sites Overtake Porn As Internet's #1 Search

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Reuters   |  Belinda Goldsmith   |   September 17, 2008 11:52 AM


Social networking sites are the hottest attraction on the Internet, dethroning pornography and highlighting a major change in how people communicate, according to a web guru.

Bill Tancer, a self-described "data geek", has analyzed information for over 10 million web users to conclude that we are, in fact, what we click, with Internet searches giving an up-to-date view of how society and people are changing.

Some of his findings are great trivia, such as the fact that elbows, belly button lint and ceiling fans are on the list of people's top fears alongside social intimacy and rejection.

Others give an indication of people's interests or emotions, with an annual spike in searches for anti-depression drugs around Thanksgiving time in the United States.

Read the whole story here.

Social networking sites are the hottest attraction on the Internet, dethroning pornography and highlighting a major change in how people communicate, according to a web guru. Bill Tancer, a self-desc...
Social networking sites are the hottest attraction on the Internet, dethroning pornography and highlighting a major change in how people communicate, according to a web guru. Bill Tancer, a self-desc...
 
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Makes perfect sense. The only thing more popular than porn is blathering on and on about yourself without anyone being able to interrupt you. I'm not sure which I find more sad.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:57 AM on 09/18/2008

Spam on myspace is already porn

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:41 PM on 09/17/2008
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Who needs two-dimensional sexual fantasy and voyeurism when with a few clicks you can hook up with the real thing? I read an article that suggested HDTV might be the end of porn because the imperfections of the actors will become more glaring or evident.

The world has changed, yet large sections of it remain horny.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:48 PM on 09/17/2008

'The world has changed, yet large sections of it remain horny.'
Hahaha - one of the truest things I've seen said in a long while....

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:05 AM on 09/18/2008

I liked that guy's response on the Maddow show yesterday when talking about how kids spend their time with myspace, "In my day, we MADE TIME for our internet porn."

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:21 PM on 09/17/2008

Are you kidding me?

What could be more pornographic than to tell/show the whole world on the web what you wouldn't even tell your own parents or your shrink?

Social networking is about as exhibitionist an activity as it comes. But unlike for showing your ... (insert your most aesthetic body part here), you won't even get paid for exposing yourself.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:18 PM on 09/17/2008

It's a little bit in bad taste to use a PETA ad for the image of a story somewhat about porn. I'm not even a PETA supporter or fan, but that's just bad taste.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:48 PM on 09/17/2008
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Online porn is so 2006. What else can they do that's legal? They've done it all. I have to admit, I've thought more than once that the ceiling fan over my bed could become dislodged and potentially cause a decapitation. It's good to know others have had the same thought. http://mespace.wordpress.com

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:17 PM on 09/17/2008
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It's a sad day in America when porn can't be #1 on a search engine.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:08 PM on 09/17/2008
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impossible...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:07 PM on 09/17/2008

As shady as Social Networking Sites are, I can't help but feel this is an improvement. Combined with the fact that 97 % of the kids (apparently, it's not just kids either) play video games, it could mean that we need to rethink some fundamentals of our education system.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:01 PM on 09/17/2008
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I thought Facebook and MySpace WERE porn!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:18 PM on 09/17/2008
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MySpace certainly can be...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:03 PM on 09/17/2008

Social networking, talking to people you don't know about personal issues, is porn. Give me a
break, My space and Facebook, except during the elections are dating sites. Going out and meeting people in public places is real socializing.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:00 PM on 09/17/2008
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Why bother paying for porn when you can get it right on myspace and facebook?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:23 PM on 09/17/2008
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my wife is so hot i got no need for the fake stuff.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:54 PM on 09/17/2008
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I AGREE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:28 PM on 09/17/2008
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