You're in one of two camps on the Twitter and Facebook debate. Either you find your entire body clenching when you hear the names of these over-hyped and pointless time-wasters, or you're an addict who is suddenly keeping up with friends and acquaintances several times a day instead of once a year, and discovering the hidden gems lurking in their throwaway thoughts.

Depending on which camp you're in, the latest news for bargain hunters is either cause for celebration or for deep sighs and despair at the way society is going.

Because apparently Twitter and Facebook are the best place to find a bargain at the moment.

A study by Kelkoo found that online shopping is the best way to get a bargain, they found voucher codes were the best way to get a discount on your already cheap products, and that Twitter and Facebook were the best ways to find out about these codes.

A spokesman for Kelkoo, said the sites were handy because you can find about codes the instant they are released. She added: "Many of these codes have a very limited time period – sometimes just a few days, meaning they may have expired by the time you find out about them."

Some retailers have started issuing voucher codes exclusively on these sites, so their followers can be first in the queue for the bargains.

For the stores, the chance to be re-tweeted and spread across the web generates great publicity, and for buyers, it's a chance to get a discount you wouldn't otherwise stumble across.

There are also a host of Tweeting types specifically dedicated to letting people know about these bargains, such as vouchermum and discount_tweet, which will save you following every shop you could ever want to buy from.

So it's up to you, join the voucher tweeting types, or be very grumpy that these sites are cornering the market in another vital sector.

I know which one I'd rather do.