It used to be one had to be seen to be believed.

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But not anymore. 

Facebook’s check-in app, has become the new obsession among Gen-y ers as use soars. 

Almost half of those surveyed by Telstra said they did it to look cool among their peers, selecting only popular locations in town.

And it’s not only the Facebook app that is used for appearances – almost one third of people under 30 admit they have apps on their phone they don’t use just to look fashionable.

More interestingly, Gen Ys also appear to be pinching Twitter and Facebook posts off others and placing them on their own pages.

Among the must be-seen-in locations are The Ivy, North Bondi Italian, Gazebo, Hugos in Sydney, The Supper Club, 161, Cookie, Section 8 in Melbourne and Little Creatures in Perth.       

Musician Josh Earl even suggests faking it if you can’t make the desired location, which is said to be common practice already among the Facebook generation. 

“You only have to be approximately within one kilometre of your faux location to choose it, so rather than check-in to Pie Face or Maccas after work drinks, why not choose a more respectable venue nearby, like the Ivy in Sydney or Cookie in Melbourne?”

“Australia’s love affair with social networking continues to strengthen with one in four of our customers regularly using their mobiles to access Facebook,” Telstra Consumer Executive Director, Rebekah O’Flaherty said.  

“Gen Y is leading the charge and armed with their mobile phones using new technologies and applications to make their mark on the world.”