“Reality is never as bad as a nightmare, as the mental tortures we inflict on ourselves.”
—Sammy Davis Jr.

Mashable alerts us to a Nielsen Company report finding that the average Internet user now spends 68 hours a month online.

Back in 2006, this About.com article in their mental health section called 8.5 hours of Internet usage a week “pathological.”  That’s about half the Nielsen number.

HubSpot reports on a new marketing survey conducted by King Fish Media. Among the findings: Custom content ranks above social media, white papers and face-to-face events when it comes to effectiveness in communicating with customers.

“According to this study,” HubSpot writes, “nearly two-thirds of marketers — in-house and agency — believe that content from a brand or company is perceived as having the same or more value than content from a media brand. Also, they’re moving dollars toward direct-touch platforms such as company Web sites and social media.”

In other findings: 78 percent of companies surveyed increased their social media spending from 2007 to 2009 … 86 percent of companies currently create original content for their customers and prospects … 73 percent of respondents said social media is the most effective way of communicating with potential clients; only a corporate Web site ranked higher in effectiveness (at 75 percent).

Takeaway for marketers: As you think about doing more in the areas of social media and content development, don’t turn your social media presence over to a part-time intern, and don’t have your content developed by the lowest of the low-end article marketers.

David Meerman Scott reports and Roxie Merritt, Director of New Media Operations at the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs in the U.S. Department of Defense, says what all businesses ought to take to heart: “It’s not about controlling the message any more. It’s about giving people as much information and resources and facts as they can.”

Good news: Authorities shut down the largest click fraud ring ever discovered.

Bad news: It’s a spit in the ocean.

Takeaway for marketers: If you’re advertising on a scale that may attract click fraud, you need to pay close attention to your analytics.