Yesterday we ran a live Facebook and Twitter question and answer session with the physiologist who oversaw our social experiment, Dr. David Giles. He is an expert in social media behaviour and a Reader in Media Psychology at Winchester University. The Q&A session provided our followers with a real chance to ask in-depth questions about our social experiment.
19 Apr 2013
Article
In the biggest-ever experiment carried out into how people use social media, first direct asked volunteers from across the UK to change their Facebook and Twitter habits for a month. A small group of those volunteers also kept video diaries of their experience. These are the highlights of their diaries.
10 Apr 2013
VideoEnforced absence from social media leads to severe withdrawal symptoms Users complain of feelings of 'isolation' and 'frustration' Twitter users cope with abstinence better than those on Facebook Even social media "virgins" find posting and tweeting addictive The UK's first in-depth experiment into the addictiveness of social media has been carried out...
10 Apr 2013
Press ReleaseBritons are spending an estimated 62 million hours each day on Facebook and Twitter, according to a new survey on the UK's social media habits. The survey, for first direct, suggests that around 34 million hours are spent on Facebook each day, with a further 28 million hours on Twitter.
10 Apr 2013
Press ReleaseA new research project investigating the rising influence of social media in people's lives has uncovered a new breed of internet personalities. The personality types are based on the results of an in-depth, month-long experiment, where people were forced to change their social media habits...
10 Apr 2013
Press ReleaseArt of ‘convo’ evolving as ‘sound bite’ sentences become the norm for time strapped Brits - Research from first direct the bank reveals 72% of the UK regularly use text-speak in everyday conversation A recent Ofcom report highlighted that texting has taken over from the telephone as the nation’s preferred communications route.
24 Sep 2012
Press ReleaseSpare a thought for the ten cyclists from HSBC and first direct starting their 147.5 mile marathon charity cycle ride at 6am from the Golden Mile on Friday 22nd June. The team are aiming to ride from Blackpool to Bridlington in a leg busting 12 hours to raise £12,500, or just a little over £1000 an hour for ChildLine, the bank's partner charity.
22 Jun 2012
Press Releasefirst direct upgrades its website giving it a more community feel first direct has relaunched its customer website, www.firstdirect.com, following a complete redesign to reflect the changing nature of how its customers communicate with the bank.
20 Feb 2012
Press ReleaseThe social customer expects to engage online and not sit in a call centre queue Social companies are empowering their staff to interact with customers online Social customers can help companies increase their profits The modern social customer has little time or respect for traditional company structures and expects to interact with brands on their own...
31 Jan 2012
Press Release
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