This week instead of scouring the web for the typically fun and humor-laced material I normally provide, I have been in England on vacation. So, I’m going to share my perspective on social media in London from ‘across the pond’.

This week, I have found it very difficult to stay connected to or find a good WIFI hotspot.  Writing from a Starbucks in Clapham now, this has been the only place other than a hotel or the occasional pub that has public WIFI available.  When you are traveling abroad with a smartphone, I rely heavily on the web for information, and I also like to access certain apps to streamline my day. It’s been a unique social experience grabbing a tourist map and asking questions, rather than using Google Maps to find my way.  But, it would be nice to have had the security blanket that modern technology provides during those times when I was completely lost in London.

People in London are on Facebook and Twitter, and in fact, social networking is more popular here than porn!  According to statistics from web analytics firm Experian Hitwise, sites like Facebook surpass entertainment outlets that include porn websites in British Internet usage charts. The Experian study — Carpe diem - Seizing the Moment in Social Media — revealed that social networking sites received more than 2.4 billion hits from U.K. users accounting for 12.46 percent, or almost one eighth of all U.K. web visits.  Brits also spend more time on each visit to a social network logging in an average of 22 minutes in January with Facebook attracting 56 percent of the traffic.

So, if everyone is on social media sites, then why am I experiencing so many connectivity issues? Well, here’s why: it seems that network security is a primary focus (as it should be) for businesses, but the high levels of security make it very difficult to access certain business-related websites.  I met a lawyer here at Starbucks who said she and many other colleagues come to Starbuck’s to do their web-related casework because of poor signal strength and network restrictions in their offices. Doesn’t that circumvent the whole network security aspect?

Well, England has been a great place to vacation, and not having access to all of my web tools has helped me appreciate the US’s connectivity.  It has also made me realize Facebook and Twitter function quite well without me, but I can only avoid them for so long. See you back in The States tomorrow! Here’s to Britain and its great people!  Thanks for the hospitality.

So, in honor of you Brits, and your charming accents, here’s one of my all-time favorite YouTube videos, which has had, oh…only about 300 million views to date.  But it never gets old.  Happy Friday!