Twitter and Status Updating: Demographics, Mobile Access and News Consumption

Twitter and Status Updating: Demographics, Mobile Access and News Consumption

Amanda LenhartPew Internet ProjectAoIR 10.0Milwaukee, WIOctober 8, 2009

Twitter and status updating, Fall 2009 October 2009

Methodology

• RDD tracking surveys of adults 18 and older

• August 2009

• November 19-December 20, 2008

• November 20-December 4, 2008

• April 8 – May 11, 2008

• For results based on internet users margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points @ 95% confidence level.

• Question wording changed from May to November.

– May 08 wording: “Do you ever use Twitter or other microblogging service to share updates about yourself or see updates about others?”

– Nov-Dec 08 wording: “Do you ever use Twitter or another service to share updates about yourself or to see the updates of others?”

Twitter and status updating, Fall 2009 October 2009

What is Twitter?

Twitter and status updating, Fall 2009 October 2009

Twitter use

• 19% of American internet users used Twitter* in August 2009

• 11% of American internet users used Twitter or other service to share updates in April 2009

• 11% of American Internet users used Twitter or other service to share updates in December 2008

• 6% of American internet users used Twitter or other microblogging service to share updates in May 2008

*Note: In this presentation, “Twitter” is a shorthand for “use Twitter or update a status online”

Twitter and status updating, Fall 2009 October 2009

Demographics of Twitter users (Dec 08)• Younger adults

– 19% of online adults 18-24 have ever used Twitter or updated a status online

– 20% of 25-34 year-olds– 10% of 35-44– 5% of 45-54– 4% of 55-64– 2% of 65+

• Lower income (youth)– 17% of under $30,000– 10% of $30-$74,999– 10% of $75,000+

• Racially/Ethnically diverse (9% of Whites, 15% of African-Americans, 16% Hispanics (English))

• More likely to be urban than average.• Equally likely to be male or female (11% twitter in each group)

Twitter and status updating, Fall 2009 October 2009

Demographics of Twitter users (Aug 09)

• Skewing younger

– 37% of 18-24

– 31% of 25-34

– 19% of 35-44

– 10% of 45-54

– 10% of 55-64

– 4% of 65+

• No income differences

• Still racially and ethnically diverse – 19% of whites, 26% of African-Americans, 18% Hispanics

• Rural lagging – 20% urban, 16% suburban, 10% rural.

• Starting to skew female? 17% of online men twitter, 21% of online women

Twitter and status updating, Fall 2009 October 2009

Twitter users use more mobile & social media

• Wireless internet users more likely to use Twitter (14% vs. 6%)

• SNS users – 23% have used Twitter vs. 4% of non-SNS users

• Bloggers – 27% of bloggers Twitter vs. 10% of non-bloggers

• Twitter users more likely to go online via their cell phone (40% vs. 24% of others)

Data from Dec 2008

Twitter and status updating, Fall 2009 October 2009

Twitter and status updating, Fall 2009 October 2009

Twitter & health (Dec 2008)

• Twitter users more likely to look for health information online

• More likely to be affected/caring for someone with a chronic condition than to have one themselves

Twitter and status updating, Fall 2009 October 2009

Last slide

• Twitter users are generally intense and savvy users of online resources

– Media & News

– Information Resources (like Health Information)

– Communication

• Mobile

• Younger Adults (and thus racially diverse as are American youth generally)…

• …but not teens

Thanks!

Amanda LenhartPew Internet & American Life Projecthttp://www.pewinternet.orgalenhart@pewinternet.org@amanda_lenhart