Sociable Labs: Survey shows that addiction to social networking sites may cause users to spend money like water

Will social networks empty your wallet? It sounds incredible, but it is true. According to the British Daily Mail, a recent survey shows that being addicted to social networks not only wastes time, but also makes users spend money unknowingly. This is mainly because users often "show off" their newly purchased items online, which invisibly influences friends to follow and click on related links, ultimately boosting purchasing behavior.

The survey was conducted by online market research company Sociable Labs, which surveyed 1,088 Facebook users and found that at least three-quarters of people who frequently shop online will click on product links shared by their friends on social networking sites, and nearly half will buy products recommended by their friends.

The company calls this behavior of buying products through recommendations from friends on social networking sites "social identification," meaning that consumers will choose and buy products based on online social groups. Consumers who buy products through recommendations from friends on social networking sites are called "social buyers." For product manufacturers, "social buyers" are very important because 81% of them are also "social sharers."