Prima e seconda generazione dei
siti di social network in Italia
Fabio [.] Giglietto [@uniurb.it]
http://www.nextmediaandsociety.org
21-22 novembre 2008, Università Roma Tre

Dicembre 2007 [16-19]

The Italian perspective

One global phenomenon many local
path of domestication

Research hypothesis
– Badoo and Facebook users belong to different
generations in terms of new media literacy
skills:
1. Badoo users appear to lack a clear understanding
of the invisible audience and can’t therefore use
the public/private distinction in a networked
space;
2. Badoo users appear to be mainly using the site to
bridge their social capital making new friends
other than consolidating existing relationships.

Methodology
1. March: Telephonic survey with a
representative sample of Italian population
+18 (N=1600);
2. August: Analysis of users demographics;
3. November: Telephonic survey with a
representative sample of Marche region
population +18 (N=690);
4. September/November: Web survey with
random selected sample of Facebook and
Badoo users (N=338).

Web search volume

Websites users demographics
3.097.360 profiles 2.890.268 profiles

Age distribution
User ages compairson between Facebook and Badoo in Italy
(Aug 08)
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
24
39
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
oltre 50
facebook badoo
Source: Facebook e Badoo (31/08/08)

Gender
Percentage of Male and Female on Facebook and Badoo by age
0,9
0,8
0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
16
21
26
31
13
14
15
17
18
19
20
22
23
24
25
27
28
29
30
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
oltre 50
facebook % m facebook %f badoo % m badoo %f
Source: Facebook e Badoo (31/08/08)

State of SNSs in Italy [16-19]
source: http://jilltxt.net/?p=2163
30,00%
25,00%
% of italian population 16-19
20,00%
15,00%
10,00%
5,00%
0,00%
dic-07 gen-08 feb-08 mar-08 apr-08 mag-08 giu-08 lug-08 ago-08 set-08 ott-08 nov-08
dic-07 apr-08 ott-08 nov-08
facebook [16-19] 0,63% 1,00% 5,88% 11,48%
badoo [16-19] 18,32% 20,91% 24,28% 24,83%
source: Facebook, Badoo

Main SNSs activities
100%
91% 90%
90%
82% 81%
79%
80% 77%
72%
68% 69% 70%
70% 67%
60%
55% 53%
49%
50%
45%
42%
40% 37%
30%
23%
21%
20% 17%
10%
0%
fare nuove amicizie tenerti in contatto con amici tenerti in contatto con amici flirtare con qualcuno organizzarti con i tuoi amici
che vedi spesso che vedi di rado di persona
US online teens 12-17 LaRiCA Survery March 2008 facebook users badoo users
Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project Parents & Teens Survey, October-November 2006. Based on teens 12-17 who use social networking sites [N=493] Margin
of error is ±5%; Indagine CATI 2008commissionata dal LaRiCA Based on 18-29 users of social networking sites [N=106] Margin of error is ±2% ; Online survery [N=338]

Bridging/Bonding
Approssimativamente quanti dei tuoi
\"amici\" di Badoo/Facebook conosci di persona?
Badoo Users (N=73) Response Percent Facebook Users (N=286) Response Percent
46,9%
29,2%
27,3%
18,5%
16,9% 16,2%
15,4% 15,4%
7,3%
4,6%
1,2% 1,2%
Nessuno Pochi Non so Abbastanza Molti Tutti
Question adapted from Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook \"friends:\" Social capital and college students' use of online
social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), article 1. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/ellison.html
Source: Online Survey [N=338] , November 2008

Bridging/Bonding
Indicare il proprio grado di accordo o
disaccordo sulle seguenti affermazioni
(da 1 Molto in disaccordo a 5 Molto d'accordo)
Badoo Users (N=73) Average rating Facebook Users (N=286) Average rating
3,97417
3,789668
3,453875
3,044776
2,791045 2,730627
2,608856
2,494465
2,313433
2,208955
2,044776 2,014925
Uso Badoo/Facebook per Ho usato Badoo/Facebook Uso Badoo/Facebook per Uso Badoo/Facebook per Uso Badoo/Facebook per Uso Badoo/Facebook per
connettermi a persone per cercare qualcuno che ho conoscere meglio i miei amici conoscere meglio le persone tenermi in contatto con conoscere nuove persone
conosciute offline conosciuto di persona che vivono vicino a me vecchi amici
Question adapted from Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook \"friends:\" Social capital and college students' use of online
social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), article 1. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/ellison.html
Source: Online Survey [N=338] , November 2008

Perception of Privacy
Quanto pensi sia difficile per qualcuno
scoprire chi sei in base al tuo profilo?
Badoo Users (N=73) Response Percent Facebook Users (N=286) Response Percent
72,5%
63,0%
16,9%
13,7% 12,3% 11,0%
5,6% 4,9%
piuttosto semplice dovrebbero lavorarci sopra ma sarebbe molto difficile che non so
potrebbero scoprirlo qualcuno scopra chi sono in base
al mio profilo
Question adapted from Pew Internet Parents & Teens 2006 Survey .
Source: Online Survey [N=338] , November 2008

Perception of Privacy
Quali delle seguenti informazioni sono
pubblicate sul tuo profilo di Badoo/Facebook?
Badoo Users (N=73) Response Percent Facebook Users (N=286) Response Percent
95,2%
91,9% 90,4%
84,1%
79,1%
76,1% 74,5% 76,4%
65,7%
60,9%
55,2% 56,1%
47,8%
38,0%
29,9% 32,1%
22,4%
17,3% 16,4%
13,4% 12,5% 13,4%
9,0%
4,5%
Question adapted from Pew Internet Parents & Teens 2006 Survey .
Source: Online Survey [N=338] , November 2008

Perception of Privacy
Alcune persone preferiscono non dare le proprie
informazioni su un profilo online e ne usano quindi di false. E tu?
Badoo Users (N=73) Response Percent Facebook Users (N=286) Response Percent
79,7%
50,7%
17,9%
11,4%
9,0% 9,0% 7,5%
6,0%
1,5% 1,8% 3,0% 2,6%
tutta la maggior parte una parte molto poca nessuna non so
Question adapted from Pew Internet Parents & Teens 2006 Survey .
Source: Online Survey [N=338] , November 2008

Time spent
Quanti minuti hai speso in media
durante l'ultima settimana su Badoo / Facebook?
Badoo Users (N=73) Response Percent Facebook Users (N=286) Response Percent
57,2%
45,8%
oltre 1 ora
Question adapted from Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook \"friends:\" Social capital and college students' use of online
social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), article 1. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/ellison.html
Source: Online Survey [N=338] , November 2008

Sense of community
Indicare il proprio grado di accordo o
disaccordo sulle seguenti affermazioni
(da 1 Molto in disaccordo a 5 Molto d'accordo)
Badoo Users (N=73) Average rating Facebook Users (N=286) Average rating
3,498155
3,254612 3,173432
2,833948
2,507463
2,398524
1,985075 2 2,044776
1,791045 1,826568
1,477612
Facebook/Badoo è parte Sono orgoglioso di dire Facebook/Badoo è Mi sento \"fuori dal Mi sento parte della Mi dispiacerebbe se
delle mie attività alla gente che sono su diventato parte della mia mondo\" quando non comunità di Facebook/Badoo venisse
quotidiane Facebook/Badoo routine quotidiana entro in Facebook/Badoo Facebook/Badoo chiuso
per un pò
Question adapted from Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of Facebook \"friends:\" Social capital and college students' use of online
social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4), article 1. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/ellison.html
Source: Online Survey [N=338] , November 2008

Conclusions
The research hypothesis can be considered at last
partially confirmed:
• Observing the results of the survey it’s pretty clear that Badoo
users are mainly using the site to bridge their social capital
making new friends other than consolidating existing
relationships;
• Some data also confirm that Badoo users lack a clear
understanding of the invisible audience and underestimate the
exposure of their online published contents.