Maura Welch on Social Media

Facebook good. Twitter bad.

...for your brain, that is. Social games and strategy games are thinking activities and good for your brain. Texting, Twitter, etc. are interrupt activities and mess up your brain action.

This via Raph Koster's blog:

Dr. Tracy Alloway of Scotland’s University of Stirling, says her study shows using Facebook stretches our “working memory” our short-term or recent memory, while Twitter, YouTube and text messages tend to weaken it.

Alloway studies working memory and has developed a training program to increase the performance of children – ages 11 to 14 – who are slow learners. She found:

• Keeping up-to-date with Facebook improved the children’s IQ scores
• Playing video games – especially those that require planning and strategy – and Sudoku also were beneficial
• Using Twitter, YouTube and text messaging does not engage enough of the brain to be helpful, and actually reduce attention span.

Did you know?

The aging of Facebook

In January I noticed that it seemed like everyone I knew was starting their first Facebook page.

By that I mean people my age. Or older.

But here's when it really hit home.

My 70 year old mother in law is now on Facebook.

So no surprise that Nielsen Online is reporting that Facebook has added almost twice as many 50-64 year old global visitors (13.6 million) between December 2007-December 2008 as it has added under 18 year old global visitors (7.3 million).

LinkedIn goes all Facebook

Source: TechCrunch and my LinkedIn page

OK I know neither site has been around that long. But, it used to be that LinkedIn was was your professional spot and Facebook was your personal spot. Now the lines are blurring.

Today LinkedIn launched Facebook-style Status Updates (ie: Maura is...) and the new design mimics Facebook’s (header, narrow left col and a wide right col).

I still think most professionals use LinkedIn for what it is - your resume live at all times, there whenever you need it. Also, LinkedIn sits out there like a bobber in the lake just in case an interesting fish swims by. The status messages are good if you're actively looking for a gig, I bet .

Obviously LinkedIn and Facebook compete, but they also share a common investor. One of LinkedIn's angel investors is Peter Thiel, Co-Founder of PayPal, who is now managing partner at the Founders Fund.

Makes me think that combined, Facebook and LinkedIn would be pretty potent indeed.