Survey: Most Brits Drunk in Facebook Shots

A survey of British behavior on Facebook suggests the vast majority of pictures on the social network display intoxication, and that users are generally ignoring privacy controls.

The survey, conducted by MyMemory, asked 1,781 British Facebook users about photographs they had posted or those in which they had been "tagged".

While the sample size isn't what most scientists would consider large, the results are somewhat interesting. An astounding 76 per cent of all photos in the study showed those in the picture were drinking alcohol or had recently consumed alcoholic beverages.

Scandalous Photos Cause Concern

MyMemory provided other interesting statistics about British Facebook users and alcohol use: approximately 56 per cent of those surveyed admitted there were "drunk photos" of themselves on Facebook that they would not want a colleague or employer to view.

About 8 per cent admitted they had appeared in posted photos that could land them in "serious trouble at work."

While British Facebook users appear to care about who sees them intoxicated, about two-thirds of those surveyed admitted they had gone out of their way to tag friends in embarrassing photographs just so other friends would see a particularly scandalous picture.

Almost all respondents (93 per cent) said they had deleted tags of this kind as a way to prevent people from viewing photos deemed "too embarrassing." (Source: cnet.com)

Privacy Still Not a Dominant Concern

The study further revealed that many Brits still don't take necessary precautions to protect their privacy on Facebook.

For example: more than one in four respondents (26 per cent) said they had left their account's privacy controls completely open, allowing anyone -- friends and strangers -- to view their photos, wall posts, and status updates.

About 58 per cent said they allowed only their friends to view their accounts, while only 12 per cent admitted blocking some of their friends from certain content.

MyMemory representative Rebecca Huggler suggested people need to be more careful about their image online, but at the same time admitted those viewing embarrassing photos should remember that everyone gets a little wild from time to time.

"We wanted to look at how much these photos dominate our presence on social media sites," Huggler said. "The thing to remember is that most photos are taken on special occasions or get-togethers with friends and family." (Source: zdnet.com)