Stressed out Facebook users to cut back

STATUS updates, friend requests, profile pictures and pokes.

An American study has found the intricacies of the most used social network in the world are stressing out its users to the point of no return.

Almost a billion people around the world use Facebook, but a Pew Research Centre's Internet and American Life Project study now says 27 per cent of American adults plan to reduce their Facebook use this year, and only 3 per cent plan to spend more time on the site. It also found 61 per cent have taken a self-imposed Facebook ban in the past.

Users who aim to cut their Facebook time say that it is producing "too much drama", even to the point of hurting relationships.

However the number one reason for turning away from the site was that users were too busy and just didn't have the time to maintain what they considered an appropriate level of Facebook interaction.

While this may look like the beginning of the end for our most prevalent social network, University of Queensland social media expert Dr Sean Rintel says Facebook is far from going away.

"There are two things to consider here - the first being that there has been nothing like Facebook before; there are nearly a billion people on the site, so it fluctuates in usage," Dr Rintel said.

"Secondly, that people probably do get Facebook fatigue, there's an information overload and people get overwhelmed."

Yet people are becoming disillusioned with the site, as evidenced by initiatives like "Facebook Free February", launched by Brisbane student Jenny King who has taken a month away from the site and is encouraging others to do so too.

She cites privacy settings and increased ads being major concerns.

Dr Rintel admits that the site isn't bulletproof.

"It's not too big to fail; who knows what is around the corner."

But does this mean the end for Facebook?

"I doubt it," he said.

"There is too much involved with Facebook, it's the worlds biggest picture sharing network for one and secondly there are so many other sites linked into it."

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Minister sings her vision for the arts

EMBATTLED Arts Minister Ros Bates has used her expertise at playing Chopsticks on the piano as evidence she is qualified for the job.

Ms Bates yesterday addressed the arts industry in an attempt to bring the focus back to her portfolio and away from the controversy that has dogged her since the election.

She told the audience: "I actually studied pianoforte to grade 8. It has been a long time since I played Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata but I am sure I could do a pretty good duet on Chopsticks with any of you."

Ms Bates went on to share that she sang descant - or counter-melody - in her school choir. But she admitted her skills in that department had also lapsed.

Ms Bates was speaking at a so-called State of the Arts Forum to reiterate the Newman Government's commitment to the arts.

But she failed to share any new information about additional support, instead speaking broadly of her vision and plans for the arts industry.

She did reveal the members of the new Arts Investment Advisory Board that is responsible for allocating grant funding and guiding the minister on policy decision.

The board will include Queensland art impresario Phillip Bacon, Queensland Art Gallery chair Sue Street, Hutchinson Builders' Scott Hutchinson, Industrea CEO Robin Levison, lawyer and strategic adviser David Thomas and company director Dr Jane Wilson. The chair will be Mark Fenton from RACQ.

The address was followed by a question-and-answer session in which interested parties were invited to submit questions in the lead-up to the event.

The event's MC, former arts minister Joan Sheldon, said the minister would only answer a selection of questions from those submitted ahead of time, and would not take any questions from the floor.

Several of the questions on notice that were asked of her related to the funding of small to medium arts organisations such as Expressions Dance Company and La Boite Theatre Company.

The minister assured that funding was secure.

Later she said she intended to find more money for the small to medium organisations.

"It is the grassroots, it is where innovation begins."

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Stab victim left with punctured lung

A YOUNG man is recovering in hospital after suffering a punctured lung when he was stabbed at a house in Southport last night.

Another man, 21, has been arrested over the incident but it is understood charges are yet to be laid against him.

A police spokesman said the men both live at the Eugaree Street address, but clarified the pair are not related.

Officers were called to the home about 8.10pm Thursday after reports a fight had erupted between the men.

The victim, 19, was left with a minor puncture wound to his left lower back after he was attacked with a small knife.

Police media said he was taken to the Gold Coast hospital for lung surgery.

The injuries were not life-threatening.

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Union wants risky mothers-to-be locked up

THE Queensland police union is calling for tougher laws to send risk-taking pregnant women into safe houses in an effort to monitor their behaviour.

In a submission to the Queensland Child Protection Inquiry, the union says the rights of an unborn child should be considered ahead of the mother, The Australian reports.

Union president Ian Leavers says the state should be able to intervene in cases where children are at risk of foetal alcohol syndrome and drug addictions.

"Those children also deserve the right to a full life and health and should not be disadvantaged simply because of the actions or inaction of their birth mother," he says in the submission.

"The state must have the ability to intervene and protect the unborn child when its mother refuses, or is incapable or unwilling to do so."

Mr Leavers said tougher laws would complement the criminal code, which provides for a charge of killing an unborn child or grievous bodily harm for any person who violently kills or harms an unborn child.

The submission expresses views of frontline police who work in child protection, Mr Leavers says in the document.

The inquiry is headed by former Family Court judge Tim Carmody, who is expected to release his final report in April.

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ICC demands Libya hand over Gaddafi ex-spy

INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court judges have demanded Libya hand over Muammar Gaddafi's former spy chief Abdullah Senoussi to face charges of crimes against humanity.

The latest broadside in the legal tug-of-war between The Hague-based ICC and Tripoli over where Senoussi and Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam should be tried repeated a demand for Senoussi to be handed over.

The ICC "orders the Libyan authorities to proceed to the immediate surrender of Mr Senoussi to the court", said a ruling issued on Wednesday and made public on Thursday.

The ICC has the option of calling on the United Nations Security Council to take action.

The ICC is mulling a Libyan request to put Senoussi and Gaddafi on trial there, while the ICC itself wants to try them on charges of crimes against humanity committed in the conflict that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The ICC, which was mandated by the UN Security Council to investigate the Libyan conflict, issued arrest warrants in June 2011 for both Gaddafi and Senoussi on charges of crimes against humanity.

Lawyers for the two accused have said they will not get a fair trial in Libya.

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Man charged over NSW south coast shooting

A MAN has been charged after he allegedly shot into a home on the NSW south coast.

The 26-year-old man was arrested at a house in Nowra on Thursday, after he allegedly fired several rounds into a home on McKay Street, Nowra in December last year.

No one was injured in the shooting.

Police seized a rifle, double shortened double barrel shotgun and Taser, which had all been stolen, while also locating a shotgun and ammunition.

The man has been charged with two counts of possess unauthorised firearm and one count of possess shortened firearm.

He has been refused bail and will face Nowra Local Court on Friday.

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US stocks open slightly lower

US stocks have opened slightly lower as the market takes a breather from the aggressive buying that has characterised most of 2013 so far.

Five minutes into trade on Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 14.86 points, or 0.11 per cent, lower at 13,971.66.

The S&P 500 index dropped 0.28 point, or 0.02 per cent.

The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index fell 0.20 point, or 0.01 per cent.

Thursday's trading followed a middling session on Wednesday when markets concluded the day little-changed.

The S&P 500 is already up six per cent this year "and there has been a litany of warnings from pundits that the market is due for a pullback", said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare.

"The latter view, however, has often been couched with the acknowledgment that there is a lot of frustrated money on the sidelines waiting to buy on weakness," O'Hare added.

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