Most Twitter Users Tweet Only About Themselves -- But Few Follow

What do Twitter users talk about in their 140 characters? Themselves, new research from Rutgers University shows.

A study of 3000 Tweets from 350 users found that 80% of users are "meformers," or "Me Now" status updaters.

According to the researchers, these "meformers" use Twitter to "post updates on their everyday activities, social lives, feelings, thoughts, and emotions."

The other 20% are "informers" who use Twitter to post informational updates, such as links, news, and articles.

"Meformers" were found to have fewer friends and followers than informers. Mashable writes,

The median informer has 131 friends and 112 followers, while the median meformer has just 61 friends and 43 followers.

The study also found that 40% of Tweets are "all about me" personal updates.

The "meformers" may seem self-centered (well...they are), but the Rutgers team concluded that's not necessarily a bad thing in the world of online social media:

Although the meformers' self-focus might be characterized by some as self-indulgent, these messages may play an important role in helping users maintain relationships with strong and weak ties.

Read the full report here.

Comments

[TinaGirlla]

04:12 PM on 09/30/2009

Not everyone is in it for the "me thing"

@BuddhistG­irl on twitter, for example.

[illduce]

02:46 PM on 09/30/2009

Social networking­, blogs, etc are nothing more than the Schwab's drugstore of the internet age.
I personally think that many of those who Twit or Tweet or whatever are only looking to be discovered by someone for a book/film deal. They send their insipid musings into the aether hoping someone will stumble across said musings and treat them as if they were the work of a new Marcus Aurelius.

So please read my comments and "fan" me here on the HuffPo to assuage my fragile, delusional ego.

[Carl Caroli]

02:04 PM on 09/30/2009

For the most part, the tweeters are self absorbed twits. Technology companies know that, and sell them stuff to impress their friends with.

[FoxIslander]

02:02 PM on 09/30/2009

Twitter is aptly named...it­'s for twits.

[patiencepatriot]

01:22 PM on 09/30/2009

i'm putting one foot in front of the other right now.

[jalyn]

01:16 PM on 09/30/2009

This is a fad, that may soon fade; am just an observer, but seems that people are looking for thrills, fame, any kind of attention. Might explain why so many support reality tv. Quite a few don't seem fulfilled with focusing on hobbies, career, relationsh­ips, they want quick easy friends (no obligation­s).

With a "me" generation­, there is no longer any satisfacti­on in reaching out to others. And, does it seem like younger people are afraid to be alone, not just physically­, but in thought? The art of spending time alone with one's thoughts is disappeari­ng. Maybe they crave constant yacking, because silence scares them. And, it goes with cellphones­, too.

[Z-Liberator]

12:50 PM on 09/30/2009

Facebook will turn out to the next generation phone book. I run a business and it is nice to have my contacts instantly update from facebook to my blackberry­. Even Motorola, Sony, HTC etc, are building next generation phones with facebook contacts that regularly update on your headset, catch up with the times. Twitter on the other is doomed!

[Z-Liberator]

12:42 PM on 09/30/2009

Tweeter is for lonely Republican­s twatts, a total fad! what a waist of informatio­nal space.

[seedoubleyou]

12:28 PM on 09/30/2009

I've said before, I'll say it again: Twitter is a fad.

[lumpy gravy]

12:27 PM on 09/30/2009

generation "MY" is totally obsessed with it's self? shocker.

my tv. my network. myspace. my coke. my aching head. my me mine. me me me me me me me me me

[liver tuan]

12:22 PM on 09/30/2009

Using Twitter is like having a personal news service. I follow people who interest me or who can tell me something about subjects that interest me; I try to repeat the favour. All I see are posts that I want to see, generally ones that mention what's happening in the free & legal music community.

the1001str­­angemaps.­b­logspot.­co­m

[Catchingthewaves]

12:54 PM on 09/30/2009

Hi liver tuan,

Why have you copied my post? Should I take this as a compliment­? :)

[adsandiego]

04:11 PM on 09/30/2009

Looks like he's spamming that blogsot.
There are other inane comments as well. Check profile.

[JoeGdr]

12:20 PM on 09/30/2009

Just so you all know:

I totally had tacos for breakfast today.

I gotta study later. Man, I hate school.

I am thirsty!

[DeeDubya]

12:15 PM on 09/30/2009

There is no such thing as a failed social networking operation.

There are only successful data mining operations­.

[Nyckname]

12:14 PM on 09/30/2009

Oh, say it isn't so.

[Harry Pujols]

12:10 PM on 09/30/2009

What? People don't want to know what I ate for lunch?