Social media part of life in Singapore, especially among the young: Nielsen

Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia 3 Feb 10;

SINGAPORE : Social media has become a big part of life in Singapore, especially among the younger set.

A recent study by The Nielsen Company, found that 52 per cent of the Singapore population are participating in at least one social networking website, with the most popular being Facebook - at 42 per cent.

Trailing behind as the second-most accessed community or social networking website is YouTube at 35 per cent, while Friendster takes a distant third spot with one in 10 locals using it.

The company's recent study involved 1,000 Singaporeans, aged 15 and above.

Facebook groups for the environmental and other causes in Malaysia

Striking up a group
Louisa Lim, The Star 30 Jan 10;

Welcome to the world of Facebook, where the number of hobbyist groups is astounding, and their creators even more so.

When news of 15-year-old American student Tess Chapin’s being grounded for five weeks broke out in The New York Times several weeks ago, people were flabbergasted.

It wasn’t because Chapin’s sentence far outweighed her mistake for missing her 11.30pm curfew.

Why social media is the next big thing

Business Times 20 Jan 10;

Panellists from NTU's Nanyang Business School:

• Dr Vijay Sethi, Professor, Division of Information Technology and Operations & Director, International Business Competitions, Nanyang Business School (NBS)
• Dr Kanapaty Pelly Periasamy, Assistant Dean (Business) & Associate Professor, Division of Information Technology and Operations, NBS
• Dr Damien Joseph, Assistant Professor, Division of Information Technology and Operations, NBS
• Dr Goh Kim Huat, Assistant Professor, Division of Information Technology and Operations, NBS

Moderator and writer: Narendra Aggarwal, Director, Public Affairs, NBS

OVERVIEW

SOCIAL media is the new buzzword as we enter the new decade. Already it is making huge inroads into the space previously occupied by the mass media and things more traditional. As information technology becomes even more pervasive, social media initially embraced by the youth is spreading rapidly into various sectors of business and society.

Face up to people power

7 Days 10 Jan 10;

The social networking site is being used for a host of causes. But are the campaigns making any difference?

Your boss probably snarls every time they catch you on it, while certain colleagues appear to fill every single hour of their working day on it.

But 350 million people can’t be wrong, and social networking site Facebook could well be of some serious value in the modern age.

Health Minister's blog gets high praise, but other ministries not yet ready to follow suit

Netizens say bring it on
Leong Wee Keat Today Online 18 Dec 09;

SINGAPORE - His initial worry about blogging and replying to Facebook posts was that it would take too much time. Three months after venturing online to talk policy, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan's concerns have diminished.

"Typically, I spend less than 20 minutes per day," he said, adding he was "pleasantly surprised by the experience".

"I'm discovering its many uses, helping me in my work, in reaching out to Singaporeans in a direct and personal manner," said Mr Khaw in an email interview with MediaCorp.

More government bodies listen to views online

The aim is to start taking public sentiment into account in policy-making
Alicia Wong, Today Online 4 Nov 09;

IN A move that seems to give more attention to online voices, some government bodies are experimenting with what has become a growing practice among private companies - monitoring online chatter and applying appropriate feedback to policy-making.

From as early as June, ministries and agencies have been seeking social media intelligence services, as tenders on the official e-procurement portal, Gebiz, show.

The latest are the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and Ministry of Manpower (MOM), which put up tenders for a three-month trial to monitor online sentiment in various areas related to their ministries last month.

Blogathon nets funds for Malaysian turtle sanctuary

New Straits Times 29 Oct 09;

KUALA TERENGGANU: They may have had a pot of coffee ready but it was adrenaline that kept conservationists Prof Chan Eng Heng, Pelf Chen Nyok and Chang Kew Fong blogging around the clock.

It paid off well as they raised RM4,500 for the newly-established Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) in Setiu.