Twitter Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Usage== {{Main|Twitter usage}} Daily user estimates vary as the company does not publish statistics on active accounts. A February 2009 [[Compete.com]] blog entry ranked Twitter as the third most used social network based on their count of 6 million unique monthly visitors and 55 million monthly visits.<ref name="Kazeniac">{{cite news|author=Kazeniac, Andy|title=Social Networks: Facebook Takes Over Top Spot, Twitter Climbs|url=http://blog.compete.com/2009/02/09/facebook-myspace-twitter-social-network/|date=February 9, 2009|publisher=[[Compete.com]]|access-date=February 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721111825/http://blog.compete.com/2009/02/09/facebook-myspace-twitter-social-network/|archive-date=July 21, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> An April 2017 a [[statista.com]] blog entry ranked Twitter as the tenth most used social network based on their count of 319 million monthly visitors.<ref>{{cite web|title=Global Social Networks Ranked by Number of Users|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/|website=Statista|access-date=June 18, 2017|archive-date=January 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220129042041/https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/|url-status=live}}</ref> Its global user base in 2017 was 328 million.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/07/27/technology/business/twitter-earnings/index.html|title=Twitter is now losing users in the U.S.|last=Fiegerman|first=Seth|work=CNNMoney|access-date=March 23, 2018|archive-date=April 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427150605/https://money.cnn.com/2017/07/27/technology/business/twitter-earnings/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Demographics=== {{update section|date=September 2019}} {{see also|Black Twitter}} In 2009, Twitter was mainly used by older adults who might not have used other social sites before Twitter.<ref name="teensdonttweet">{{cite news |first=Claire Cain |last=Miller |title=Who's Driving Twitter's Popularity? Not Teens |date=August 25, 2009 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html |access-date=September 18, 2009 |archive-date=April 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190427151114/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html |url-status=live }}</ref> According to [[comScore]] only 11% of Twitter's users were aged 12 to 17.<ref name="teensdonttweet" /> According to a study by [[Sysomos]] in June 2009, women made up a slightly larger Twitter demographic than menβ53% over 47%. It also stated that 5% of users accounted for 75% of all activity.<ref>{{cite web| author=Cheng, Alex| author2=Evans, Mark| title=Inside Twitter β An In-Depth Look Inside the Twitter World| date=June 2009| url=http://www.sysomos.com/insidetwitter/| publisher=[[Sysomos]]| access-date=February 23, 2011| archive-date=April 3, 2023| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403225641/https://www.sysomos.com/insidetwitter/| url-status=live}}</ref> According to Quancast, 27 million people in the US used Twitter in September 2009; 63% of Twitter users were under 35 years old; 60% of Twitter users were Caucasian, but a higher than average (compared to other Internet properties) were African American/black (16%) and Hispanic (11%); 58% of Twitter users have a total household income of at least US$60,000.<ref>{{cite web|author=Bluff, Brian |title=Who Uses Twitter? |date=May 2010 |url=http://www.site-seeker.com/_blogs/who-uses-twitter-demographic/ |publisher=site-seeker.com |access-date=September 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531203517/http://www.site-seeker.com/_blogs/who-uses-twitter-demographic/ |archive-date=May 31, 2010}}</ref> The prevalence of African American Twitter usage and in many popular hashtags has been the subject of research studies.<ref>{{cite web |first=Adrian |last=Chen |title=Why So Many Black People Are On Twitter |url=http://gawker.com/5802772/why-so-many-black-people-are-on-twitter |website=[[Gawker]] |publisher=[[Univision Communications]] |date=May 17, 2011 |access-date=May 5, 2017 |archive-date=May 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511014501/https://gawker.com/5802772/why-so-many-black-people-are-on-twitter |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Nick |last=Saint |title=Why Is Twitter More Popular With Black People Than White People? |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-study-results-2010-4 |website=[[Business Insider]] |publisher=[[Axel Springer SE]] |date=April 30, 2010 |access-date=May 5, 2017 |archive-date=April 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410171509/https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-study-results-2010-4 |url-status=live }}</ref> Twitter grew from 100 million monthly active users (MAUs) in September 2011,<ref>{{cite web |date=September 8, 2011 |last=Taylor |first=Chris |url=http://mashable.com/2011/09/08/twitter-has-100-million-active-users/ |title=Twitter has 100 million active users |website=[[Mashable]] |access-date=September 16, 2011 |archive-date=April 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420161305/http://mashable.com/2011/09/08/twitter-has-100-million-active-users/ |url-status=live }}</ref> to 255 million in March 2014,<ref name="investor.twitterinc.com">{{cite web |title=Twitter Reports First Quarter 2014 Results |url=https://investor.twitterinc.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=843245 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140609003245/https://investor.twitterinc.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=843245 |archive-date=June 9, 2014 |access-date=June 9, 2014}}</ref> and more than 330 million in early 2019.<ref>Evette Alexander, [https://knightfoundation.org/articles/polarization-in-the-twittersphere-what-86-million-tweets-reveal-about-the-political-makeup-of-american-twitter-users-and-how-they-engage-with-news Polarization in the Twittersphere: What 86 million tweets reveal about the political makeup of American Twitter users and how they engage with news] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607204955/https://knightfoundation.org/articles/polarization-in-the-twittersphere-what-86-million-tweets-reveal-about-the-political-makeup-of-american-twitter-users-and-how-they-engage-with-news/ |date=June 7, 2021 }} Knight Foundation/</ref><ref>Deen Freelon Associate Professor in the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, [https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/KF-Twitter-Report-Part1-v6.pdf Tweeting Left, Right & Center: How users and attention are distributed across Twitter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801171351/https://knightfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/KF-Twitter-Report-Part1-v6.pdf |date=August 1, 2021 }}, Knight Foundation.</ref><ref name="Twitter" /> In 2013, there were over 100 million users actively using Twitter daily and about 500 million tweets every day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Twitter, Inc Common Stock |url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1418091/000119312513390321/d564001ds1.htm#toc564001_1 |access-date=June 9, 2014 |archive-date=November 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191107163510/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1418091/000119312513390321/d564001ds1.htm#toc564001_1 |url-status=live }}</ref> A 2016 [[Pew Research Center|Pew research poll]] found that Twitter is used by 24% of all online US adults. It was equally popular with men and women (24% and 25% of online Americans respectively), but more popular with younger generations (36% of 18β29 year olds).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/|title=Social Media Update 2016|date=November 11, 2016|work=Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech|access-date=March 23, 2018|archive-date=October 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029034937/https://www.pewinternet.org/2016/11/11/social-media-update-2016/|url-status=live}}</ref> A 2019 survey conducted by the [[The Pew Charitable Trusts|Pew Foundation]] found that Twitter users are three times as likely to be younger than 50 years old, with the median age of adult U.S. users being 40. The survey found that 10% of users who are most active on Twitter are responsible for 80% of all tweets.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sizing Up Twitter Users|date=April 24, 2019|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/04/24/sizing-up-twitter-users/|publisher=Pew Research Center|first1=Stefan|last1=Wojcik|first2=Adam|last2=Hughes|access-date=January 9, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029223842/https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2019/04/24/sizing-up-twitter-users/|url-status=live}}</ref> === Content === [[File:Content of Tweets.svg|thumb|Content of tweets according to Pear Analytics in August 2009 {{legend|#093|News (3.6%)}} {{legend|#90c|Spam (3.8%)}} {{legend|#f90|Self-promotion (6%)}} {{legend|#933|Pointless babble (40%)}} {{legend|#1e1edc|Conversational (38%)}} {{legend|#660|Pass-along value (8.7%)}}]] [[San Antonio]]-based market-research firm Pear Analytics analyzed 2,000 tweets (originating from the United States and in English) over a two-week period in August 2009 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm (CST) and separated them into six categories.<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://www.pearanalytics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Twitter-Study-August-2009.pdf |title=Twitter Study Reveals Interesting Results About Usage |date=August 12, 2009 |publisher=Pear Analytics |editor-last=Kelly |editor-first=Ryan |place=San Antonio, Texas |contribution=Twitter Study β August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715062407/http://www.pearanalytics.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Twitter-Study-August-2009.pdf |archive-date=July 15, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Small talk|Pointless babble]] made up 40%, with 38% being conversational. Pass-along value had 9%, self-promotion 6% with [[Spam (electronic)|spam]] and news each making 4%. Despite Jack Dorsey's own open contention that a message on Twitter is "a short burst of inconsequential information", social networking researcher [[danah boyd]] responded to the Pear Analytics survey by arguing that what the Pear researchers labeled "pointless babble" is better characterized as "[[social grooming]]" or "peripheral awareness" (which she justifies as persons "want[ing] to know what the people around them are thinking and doing and feeling, even when co-presence isn't viable").<ref>{{cite web |last=boyd |first=danah |author-link=danah boyd |date=August 16, 2009 |title=Twitter: "pointless babble" or peripheral awareness + social grooming? |url=http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2009/08/16/twitter_pointle.html |access-date=September 19, 2009 |archive-date=March 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307161918/http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2009/08/16/twitter_pointle.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Similarly, a survey of Twitter users found that a more specific social role of passing along messages that include a hyperlink is an expectation of reciprocal linking by followers.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Avery Holton |author2=Kang Baek |author3=Mark Coddington |author4=Yaschur |author5=Carolyn |year=2014 |title=Seeking and Sharing: Motivations for Linking on Twitter |journal=Communication Research Reports |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=33β40 |doi=10.1080/08824096.2013.843165 |s2cid=143390964 }}</ref> === Levels of use === According to research published in April 2014, around 44% of user accounts have never tweeted.<ref>{{cite news |author=Murphy, David |date=April 13, 2014 |title=44 Percent of Twitter Accounts Have Never Tweeted |work=PC Magazine |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2456489,00.asp |access-date=September 17, 2017 |archive-date=September 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921034925/https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2456489,00.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> About 22% of Americans say they have ever used Twitter, according to a 2019 [[Pew Research Center]] survey.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Share of U.S. adults using social media, including Facebook, is mostly unchanged since 2018|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/10/share-of-u-s-adults-using-social-media-including-facebook-is-mostly-unchanged-since-2018/|access-date=July 11, 2020|website=Pew Research Center|archive-date=March 31, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331075112/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/04/10/share-of-u-s-adults-using-social-media-including-facebook-is-mostly-unchanged-since-2018/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, [[Nielsen Online]] reported that Twitter had a user-retention rate of forty percent. Many people stop using the service after a month; therefore the site may potentially reach only about ten percent of all [[Global internet usage|Internet users]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Goldsmith |first=Belinda |date=April 29, 2009 |title=Many Twitters Are Quick Quitters: Study |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/deborahCohen/idUSTRE53S1A720090429 |access-date=February 22, 2011 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308142741/https://www.reuters.com/article/deborahCohen/idUSTRE53S1A720090429 |url-status=live }}</ref> Noting how demographics of Twitter users differ from the average Americans, commentators have cautioned against media narratives that treat Twitter as representative of the population,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Madrigal|first=Alexis C.|date=April 24, 2019|title=Twitter Is Not America|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/04/twitter-is-not-america/587770/|access-date=July 11, 2020|website=The Atlantic|archive-date=March 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320005431/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/04/twitter-is-not-america/587770/|url-status=live}}</ref> adding that only 10% of users Tweet actively, and that 90% of Twitter users have Tweeted no more than twice. In 2016, shareholders sued Twitter, alleging it "artificially inflated its stock price by misleading them about user engagement". The company announced on September 20, 2021, that it would pay $809.5 million to settle this class-action lawsuit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Twitter seeks to settle 2016 class action lawsuit for $800 million|date=September 20, 2021 |url=https://denvergazette.com/news/twitter-seeks-to-settle-2016-class-action-lawsuit-for-800-million/article_1d801387-0c7b-5e43-9170-3b8820a322df.html |publisher=Denver Gazette|first1=Tom|last1=Hals|first2=Nivedita|last2=Balu|access-date=September 20, 2021|archive-date=September 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921032702/https://denvergazette.com/news/twitter-seeks-to-settle-2016-class-action-lawsuit-for-800-million/article_1d801387-0c7b-5e43-9170-3b8820a322df.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> ===User engagement === User engagement is usually measured by the number of likes, replies and reposts. A 2023 study showed that retweets are more likely to contain positive content and address larger audiences using the first-person [[pronoun]] "we". Replies, on the other hand, are more likely to contain negative content and address individuals using the second-person [[pronoun]] "you" and the third-person [[pronoun]]s "he" or "she". While influencers with many followers tend to post positive messages, often using the word "love" when addressing larger audiences, users with less followers tend to engage in [[Interpersonal relationship|interpersonal]] conversations to provoke user engagement.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Segev |first1=Elad |title=Sharing Feelings and User Engagement on Twitter: It's All About Me and You |journal=Social Media + Society |date=April 2023 |volume=9 |issue=2 |doi=10.1177/20563051231183430|s2cid=259304684 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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