A new survey of 1,000 British and American professionals from Scredible plc - developer of socially driven education technologies shows that over 38 per cent of the US professionals blame useless content for keeping them off social media.
The research shows that American professionals are more social savvy than their British counterparts. Americans are more willing to learn through online channels and use this knowledge to advance their careers. About 48 per cent of Americans say they have learned a lot this way, compared to just 29 per cent of Brits.
The study, which surveyed fully-employed professionals aged between 20 and 45 also finds that around 24 per cent of Americans think there is too much spam on social media. 26 per cent simply do not have time to post during the working day. A further 25 per cent are worried about what their employers might think of their social media profiles, including how what they share might be judged.
The survey reveals a stark contrast between the US and the UK professionals, with the US professionals notably more aware of the benefits of having a good social media profile can be in a business environment. About 75 per cent of the US professionals believe their online profile can have a positive effect on their reputation at work, compared to just 57 per cent of Brits. And when it comes to career development, 54 per cent of Americans recognise that their social media presence will be important for their careers in 5 years’ time, compared with only 39 per cent of Brits.
The survey also reveals that only 3 per cent think social media currently provides useful, educational content. Around 57 per cent of men and 51 per cent of women think social media should be banned in the office.