Oz youngsters use FB ‘to look cool’

Oz youngsters say that they use FB to appear ‘cool’ rather than communicate.

Melbourne: The social-networking obsessed Australian youngsters have admitted that they use tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Smartphone apps to appear ‘cool’ rather than communicate.

A new research has shown that image-obsessed mobile phone wielders were prepared to embellish or lie about their activities to boost their credibility among friends, reports a website. According to the Telstra survey, almost half of 18- to 30-year-olds admitted using the Facebook Places ‘check-in’ feature - which allows mobile users at a location such as a bar of cafe to let others know where they are - to make themselves look good. One in 10 regularly fake where they are in a bid to improve their social status. A third of Gen Ys confessed to downloading quirky iPhone apps designed to be seen by others rather than be actually used. The same number admitted to claiming Facebook or Twitter posts passed on to friends as their own in an effort to appear clever. Almost 70 percent of those surveyed believed their friends use Facebook Places and status updates to appear cooler than they really were. Telstra consumer executive director Rebekah O`Flaherty said tech-savvy young people were using social networking on their mobiles to help shape their real-life identity. “Australia’s love affair with social networking continues to strengthen, with one in four of our customers regularly using their mobiles to access Facebook,” she said. ANI