Kids Are Taking To Twitter Like Birds To Seed

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Feb 19

Kids are taking to Twitter like birds to seed

Online Marketing, Social Networking Add comments

Until recently, the uptake of Twitter amongst people 24 and younger has been rather muted. Statistics bear this out, as do my 16 year old daughter and 18 year old son who scoff at Twitter.

But over the past six months since around May 2009 there has been a marked increase in uptake by this age group. According to comScore Media Metrix (US), at the end of 2008, about 20% of Twitter visitors were in this group, however by the end of 2009 this group accounted for more than 30% of Twitter's visitors.

The following chart illustrates the accelerated uptake from around May 2009 onwards, outstripping uptake by adults. In fact, all age demos from 25 upwards have lost numbers, with the trend accelerating as the age gets higher.

I wonder whether the uptake by the <25 set is simply part of the delayed uptake lifecycle, and that the decrease by the older group is a sign of a waning in perceived value in Twitter by users, or the natural result of moving through the adoption and lifecycle curve at lightening speed.

I’d love to hear your views on this subject.

Tags: twitter, twitter demographics

3 comments

§ Jenni said on : 02/23/10 @ 08:14
Interesting. I think the decline in over 25's and increase in young people is a bad thing for businesses using Twitter as communication tool. Social media has always been dominated by young people, and having one media that was predominantly used by an older market meant that businesses could get through to that market more successfully.
§ Wayne Attwell® said on : 02/23/10 @ 08:23
Thanks for the comment Jen. I think you're right in some respects but it does open new avenues for organisations marketing to the youth demographic. Just depends which side of the fence you sit on I guess.
§ Philippine Outsourcing said on : 03/08/10 @ 14:35
You both have great points there. Twitter is a great avenue for the young people out there who have the luxury of using the web anytime they want. They use it as a means of communication, often updating their status which depends on what they're doing or what their mood is. It'll be great place for any business out there who's target market are the young people because they often have the time to visit the site as compared to those who are working.