47%
of Russians age 16 to 74 use social networks.
At the same time, however, participation in online professional communities is considerably less common: only 12% of Russians have accounts on professional social networks. For Russians, social networks are mainly a place for communication, self-expression and sharing memories.
These data are presented in the HSE Data Book ‘Information Society Indicators 2014’, available in Russian at the webpage.
See also:
I’m (Not) Afraid to Say: What Are the Limits of Frankness in Posts about Sexual Violence
The #imnotafraidtosay (Russian: #янебоюсьсказать) flashmob on Facebook and other online actions against sexual violence have helped victims to speak out about the problem and get psychological support from the web. At the same time, full frankness is hardly possible in such projects. It is directly related to anonymity. According to HSE researchers, the most painful experiences are still muted in groups where the discussants use their real names.
Instagram Micro-celebrities: What Factors Contribute to Online Endorser Credibility and Influence Consumer Behaviour?
Physical attractiveness, high-quality photos, interesting content, engagement with the audience, and subject competence are the key contributing factors to Instagram micro-celebrities' success, according to a study which examines the influence of online celebrity endorsers on consumer purchase intentions.
Academic Performance Shapes Student Social Networks
Based on data from the VKontakte social network, researchers have found a relationship between students' academic performance and their closest social environment.
HSE Student Analyses Social Network to Find Runaway Brother
It is a fairly common story for families – a runaway teenager leaves a note saying ‘I’m not coming back, and don’t try looking for me’ and turns off their cell phone. In a recent case, however, a sister was able to find her brother by using the knowledge she acquired as a student in HSE’s Applied Mathematics and Information Science programme. Her story shows what social networks can say about its users to someone who knows how to listen.
Employers Increasingly Find Employees Online
The internet has changed how people approach job hunting and recruitment. Employment websites and social networks are now competing with personal connections as the key channel for offering and finding jobs and have replaced most other channels, according to Sergey Roshchin, Sergei Solntsev and student at the HSE ICEF Dmitry Vasilyev's paper 'The Evolution of Job Hunting and Recruitment in the Internet Age'.
Social Networks Can Support Academic Success
Social networks have been found to influence academic performance: students tend to perform better with high-performers among their friends, as some people are capable of inspiring others to try harder, according to Maria Yudkevich, Sofia Dokuka and Dilara Valeyeva of the HSE Centre for Institutional Studies.
87%
of universities have wireless internet access. In the majority of them all staff members and students have access to Wi-Fi.
Sociology on the Internet
On 8th — 11th June the International Conference on Computational Social Science, organised by the University of Aalto took place in Helsinki, attended by many of the leading lights in this new area of academic research where the meeting between sociology and computer science has the potential to design better societies.
20%
of companies around the world in the next three years will use social networks as the main tool of corporate communications instead of email.
Social Networks are Good for Book Lovers but Show a Fall in Reading Among Young Russians
Lyubov Borusiak, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Communications, Media and Design, School of Integrated Communications will be giving a paper at the XVI International April Conference on Economic and Social Development about her research into social networks and what young Russians read. She talked to the HSE English Language News service about her findings and about whether Russian reading habits are changing with the new generation.