Teens Don’t Tweet
This is a topic that has been in rotation for quite a while now. And you know what, I think it’s kinda true. I’ll be honest, I’m 19, an avid Facebook user, college student, middle-class background, and yet, Twitter doesn’t enthrall me – or even marginally retain my attention. And the thing is, I’m not the only one. You see, I love Facebook – for more reasons than one. Yes, Facebook is a wonderfully powerful networking tool. I’ve met more people from my own school on Facebook than walking to class. And yes, Facebook is a wonderful way to stay in touch with everyone – family, friends, Co-workers. But aside from Facebook’s generic selling points, I love it simply because of the people. For a 19 y/o undergrad student, I’d say my life is modestly interesting. Even so, the conversation surrounding my Facebook page is enough to write a sitcom over. That’s why I love Facebook. One the bus, at the office, walking from one lecture to the next, Facebook always has something interesting to tune in on. I just don’t find that with Twitter. Maybe it’s because I have less than 60 Followers and limited number of friends who take a corpulent interest in Twitter, but to me, Twitter is so blahh. It’s nice to know what people are doing, and why Kim from work (and her cat) is going vegan, but where’s the substance. For example, since Facebook redesigned its dashboard, it offers a section know as highlights, where you can see some of the bigger, more relevant changes that have occurred on your friends pages. For example, this past 4th of July, I had to work and missed out on the family Gathering at my uncles – until I checked my Facebook that is! Well…not quite, but you get the point. I got to see a bunch of pictures from the event and because my uncle tagged my family, I was able to follow the link back to an aunts page, an aunt that I hadn’t seen in years.
Last time I checked, Twitter doesn’t have any cool little quarks. It’s a Wall – that’s it. I guess Avid Twitterers are operation out of the “less is more” mentality. This is America! Less has NEVER been more. We want choices, options, and…more choices – enough so that we have so many that we can’t pick.
I’ve asked some of my friends if they Twitter. Most either love it or hate it. They either love its simplicity, or more often, hate its lack of features.
It’s all perception and mentality. I like Facebook for all its worth. Even when you have no clear cut reason to visit Facebook, it always has something funny, interesting, or at the very least, engaging to offer. Twitter, Idk – not so much.
So why are more 25+ plus users catching on to the Twitter revolution? I think it has to do with the learning curve. Older users didn’t grow up around the technological sophistication that the younger of us have. Therefore, understandably, they may not catch on to the idea of complex social networking, and it’s ins and outs as quick. But Twitter, they can get. It’s easy, it’s simple, and your really can’t mess any thing up. You follow. Get followed. Post tweets. And receive replies. Simple enough. And that’s the key phrase….”Simple enough” – for anyone to use. Not just the Social Media savvy.
But for the more technologically enlightened, those of use more accustomed to the Bentley’s of Social Media, why would we switch to a Prius just to follow the masses? I like my heated and cooled nubuck seats – I can give up push start and a half electric engine that can’t move out of its own way.
That’s my take on why Twitter’s grown is more attributed to 25+ users rather thank teens. What do you guys think?
