54 pct computer users addicted to social networking sites

New York, Aug 17: How many times do you visit your Facebook page a day? If your are visiting several times in a day, beware - you're addicted to social networking sites. A new study found that nearly most of the computer users feel addicted to social networking sites.

The survey conducted by internet security service company Webroot found that nearly 54 percent of the computer users are addicted to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Webroot surveyed 4,000 computer users in the US, UK and Australia, and found that 46 percent of the respondents visit their favourite social networking sites several times a day. Interestingly, only 18 percent visit once per day.

The 42 percent of those who visit their socials several times a day or constantly are accessing them from mobile devices. The respondents in the age group between 18-34 felt like they are addicted to social sites than the older respondents.

Meanwhile, the survey also revealed that the security attacks through social networks are becoming more prevalent. According to the firm, cybercriminals continue to target social networks because they can quickly access a large pool of victims.

Threats targeting social networks are continuously being regenerated in new versions so their makers can evade detection and spread their malicious programs relentlessly across users' accounts," said Jacques Erasmus, Webroot threat expert.

"Over the last nine months, our threat intelligence network has detected more than 4,000 versions of the Koobface virus hit social network users."

Anyhow, the survey revealed that social networking users are becoming more aware of these threats. Users are now savvier about safeguarding their devices and the personal information they share online.

Between 2009 and 2011, the number of US social networkers who have never viewed or changed their privacy settings plummeted from 37 percent in 2009 to 8 percent in 2011. In the UK the percentage dropped from 31 percent in 2009 to 9 percent in 2011.

OneIndia News