Are you an ‘Alpha Socialiser” or an ‘Attention Seeker’? … Ofcom research identifies social networking profiles

 ”Types of social networkers

Alpha Socialisers – mostly male, under 25s, who use sites in intense short bursts to flirt, meet new people and be entertained.

Attention Seekers – mostly female, who crave attention and comments from others, often by posting photos and customising their profiles.

Followers – males and females of all ages who join sites to keep up with what their peers are doing.

Faithfuls – older males and females generally aged over 20, who typically use social networking sites to rekindle old friendships, often from school or university.

Functionals – mostly older males who tend to be single-minded in using sites for a particular purpose.

The qualitative research also suggests three distinct groups of people who do not use social networking sites:

• Concerned about safety – often older people and parents concerned about safety online, in particular making personal details available online.
• Technically inexperienced– often people over 30 years old who lack confidence in using the internet and computers.
• Intellectual rejecters – often older teens and young adults who have no interest in social networking sites and see them as a waste of time. “