NYT: Teens not on Twitter. Oh really?

posted on August 26th, 2009

The New York Times published an article citing Twitter usage data to support their notion that teens don’t use Twitter. NYT reported data from comScore that showed that only 11% of Twitter users are between the ages of 12 and 17. To put these figures in a different context, I created this chart based on data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project:

While the researchers at Pew didn’t report statistics regarding the 12-17 year old age group, I find it tough to swallow the assertion by the NYT that teens aren’t driving Twitter use. Coincidentally, the pattern of Twitter use reported by Pew mirrors the pattern of Facebook use reported by various studies.

So why the discrepancy? The NYT reported the statistics based on the Twitter population, whereby Pew reported statistics based on Internet users. Concluding that teens don’t really use Twitter because 12-17 year olds comprise just 11% of the user base is like saying that older people don’t use the local public swimming pool because every time I go, 90% of the people there are younger than 18.

We can say that of Twitter users, there are fewer in the 12-17 year old age group than in other age groups. We can also say that of all Internet users, the proportion of teens on Twitter is larger than other age group.

Photo

posted on July 28th, 2009

Facebook adoption on college campuses timeline. Here’s a timeline that I created that charts the growth in Facebook active users as well as the research on Facebook adoption by college students. References Heiberger, G., & Harper, R. (2008). Have you Facebooked Astin lately? Using technology toincrease student involvement. In R. Junco & D. M. Timm (Eds.), Using emerging technologies to enhance student engagement. New Directions for Student Services Issue #124, (pp. 19-35). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Higher Education Research Institute. (2007). College freshman and online social networking sites. Retrieved March 30, 2009 from: http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/PDFs/pubs/briefs/brief-091107-SocialNetworking.pdf Junco, R., & Mastrodicasa, J. (2007). Connecting to the Net.Generation: What higher education professionals need to know about today’s students. Washington, D.C.: NASPA. Mastrodicasa, J. M., and Kepic, G. (October, 2005) Parents Gone Wild. Paper presented at the national meeting of the National Academic Advising Association, Las Vegas, NV. Matney, M., & Borland, K. (2009, March). Facebook, blogs, tweets: How staff and units can use social networking to enhance student learning. Presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators, Seattle, WA.

Facebook adoption on college campuses timeline.

Here’s a timeline that I created that charts the growth in Facebook active users as well as the research on Facebook adoption by college students.

References

Heiberger, G., & Harper, R. (2008). Have you Facebooked Astin lately? Using technology toincrease student involvement. In R. Junco & D. M. Timm (Eds.), Using emerging technologies to enhance student engagement. New Directions for Student Services Issue #124, (pp. 19-35). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Higher Education Research Institute. (2007). College freshman and online social networking sites. Retrieved March 30, 2009 from: http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/PDFs/pubs/briefs/brief-091107-SocialNetworking.pdf

Junco, R., & Mastrodicasa, J. (2007). Connecting to the Net.Generation: What higher education professionals need to know about today’s students. Washington, D.C.: NASPA.

Mastrodicasa, J. M., and Kepic, G. (October, 2005) Parents Gone Wild. Paper presented at the national meeting of the National Academic Advising Association, Las Vegas, NV.

Matney, M., & Borland, K. (2009, March). Facebook, blogs, tweets: How staff and units can use social networking to enhance student learning. Presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators, Seattle, WA.

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All content Copyright © Rey Junco 2009

About Me

Rey Rey Junco is an Associate Professor and the Director of Disability Services in the Department of Academic Development and Counseling at Lock Haven University. Rey Junco’s research focuses on using emerging technologies to help engage and support college students. His books include Connecting to the Net.Generation: What higher education professionals need to know about today’s students and Using emerging technologies to help engage students. As part of the Net.Generation project, Dr. Junco conducted a large multi-institution survey of student technology use. The Using emerging technologies volume explored, in much more detail, research-based topics such as using social networking sites to help engage students, technology to improve student retention, using blogs to improve student’s writing and marketing skills, and how technology can both help and hurt student mental health. This blog is dedicated to issues related to using social media in higher education.