There are many simple formulae for creating quick and easy buzz that is sure to spread like wildfire, but few are as simple as the one I’m about to show you today.

Over the past few weeks the topic of how Facebook can give you cancer/kill you has generated plenty of buzz and popularity, and it’s quite easy to see why.

The author of this “research”, Aric Sigman, actually acts as a consultant for PR-based research, so the basis of getting this “study” out was based as much on getting his name out there as it is to generate shock value and, on much lower level, cause people to stop and think about their actions.

The formula then is as follows:

1) Take a popular subject, something as popular you can think of and that everyone uses.

2) Generate something that resembles a “study”, and instead of going into it hoping to extract a conclusion as a “normal” study would, have your conclusion in mind BEFOREhand and push as hard as you can to make the conclusion make even a modicum of sense. And oh yeah, have the conclusion be something as outrageous as you can–e.g. DEATH.

As a result, 1 + 2, or in this case, Facebook + DEATH = BUZZ!

One thing you can credit Mr. Sigman for is being consistent, as the second Google result for his name yields an article titled: HOW TV IS (quite literally) KILLING US (I SUPPOSE STEP 3 CAN BE TITLE YOUR ARTICLE IN ALL CAPS). After all Facebook is the new TV, and history has shown us that the subject of DEATH and KILLING will always catch our attentions.

It isn’t at all surprising then, that when a “reputable” publication, the Washington Times discusses the virtues of social networking, in a much more scientific, objective way that looks at both sides of the equation, that it gets much, much less buzz and attention, meaning that one requires both parts of the equation to be successful.

Again, looking on the other side of things, an article that discusses how having an online presence CAN MAKE YOU UNEMPLOYED, which therefore leads to poverty and probably DEATH at some point, is good enough for the front page of the Sunday edition of the New York Times.

Other ideas for studies that can be done include:

LISTENING TO JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE CAN LEAD TO BRAIN TUMORS, AND DEATH
SUPPORTING OBAMA CAN LEAD TO ALZHEIMERS, AND DEATH
DRINKING ALCOHOL CAN CAUSE LUPUS, LEPROSY, AND DEATH
READING RANDOM BLOG ENTRIES CAN CAUSE IMPOTENCE, AND DEATH
…