NewsBytes: Feminine Social Media(?) and Men Who Shop
1) There is a good post and interesting discussion of whether or not social media is “feminine” (i.e. because women like to connect and thus… you know, the usual stereotype) on SocialMediaExplorer. I put myself right out there as a freak of nature - in that I blog and would seem to be “social” to those who know me - yet I hesitate to dive into the gazillions of social networking sites out there. What do you think, is social media a girly thing, or a thing that social human beings do? Hmmm.
2) New research from Lifestyle Monitor Statistics (a research group under the auspices of Cotton Inc.) shows that while men are still into the direct, linear “hunt” when it comes to their purchases (As in: I need pants, size 36 waist. There they are. Here’s my credit card.), they are doing a lot more shopping for themselves and their families. Here’s a quote from the article (I love the “shopping as sport” image):
An increasing sense of domestic obligation, a greater trust and awareness of brands, the internet and savvy shopping aids have largely contributed to the typical male shopper’s confidence level, but also his degree of actual enjoyment of apparel shopping.“Men no longer see shopping as just a woman’s sport, it’s for them to enjoy as well,” Kimmel from Bagir observes.
Perhaps it’s the fact that some men have come to view apparel shopping as a sport is another reason they are buying for themselves and their loved ones. As Kevin, the dad of one contends, “If I can buy clothing that
covers all the bases, like my daughter wants to wear it, it passes my wife’s critical eye and takes something off our mutual to-do list, I feel like I’ve hit a homerun.”
