Hannah Hargreaves

Working in social insights means I basically get to spend all day looking at what people post on social media, which is pretty great. Why?

1. People don't talk to researchers the way they speak to each other. Social data can help us get closer to what matters to people.

2. The way people use social media is changing all the time. Its uses are endless - from talking about climate change on Twitter to sharing raw stories about mental health on an anonymous online forum, applying for a job on TikTok, posting about beauty routines on Instagram, or learning a new skill on YouTube.

3. You can find groups sharing experiences on social who would be difficult to find for traditional research. It gives a voice to people who might not otherwise have one.

4. If someone wonders why you've spent the last hour watching cat videos, you can pretend it's part of your job (seriously, if someone wants to commission a project on cat videos, I'm all ears).