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New Twitter Research: It's A Boys' Club, and Young Adults Slow to Join

by Leila Brillson on June 3, 2009 at 06:06 AM



Two independent studies show that Twitter is all about man-on-man action, and that teens are having a hard time embracing microblogging, respectively. Researchers over at Harvard Business surveyed 300,542 users in May, discovering that, though men and women for the most part follow the same number of tweeters, a man is twice as likely to follow another man than he is a woman. In addition, a larger percentage of men follow those that follow them. The study suggests "that women are driven less by followers than men, or have more stringent thresholds for reciprocating relationships." (Much like in real life?)

According to CNET's coverage of a study that similarly mirrors reality, Pace University found that a mere 22-percent of 18- to 24-year-olds use Twitter, despite findings that suggest 99-percent of the same demographic maintain profiles on social media networks in general (and 89-percent have installed applications). What the study appears to suggest is that an older audience, one that made their entrez into social networking with Facebook several years ago, has an easier time tweeting. However, we'd like to think the lack of a comments section, Mob Wars apps, and glittery HTML graphics also has something to do with the lack of teenage interest. [From: Harvard Business Publishing and CNET News]

Tags: demographics, men, social networking, SocialNetworking, top, twitter, web 2.0, Web2.0, women

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