Twitter Lent Tracker Reveals Top 100 Things People (Say They) Are Giving Up

Top 100 Things People Are Giving Up For Lent (According To Twitter)

It is widely understood that Lent is a period of fasting and sacrifice, but what are people actually giving up for the 40-day fast?

OpenBible’s 2014 Twitter Lent Tracker may just have the answer. By analyzing 40,000 tweets and counting using the Twitter Streaming API between March 2-7, Stephen Smith of OpenBible.info is gathering some fascinating insight into the personal Lent journeys of thousands of observers.

So far the top five fasts on the list are: chocolate, alcohol, Twitter, social networking and school. School is currently ahead of swearing by a small margin. Many of the others on the list are to be expected -- for example soda, junk food and smoking. Some clever and subversive ones have popped up as well, however, including Lent, “you” and “giving up things.”

UPDATE: Over 100,000 tweets have been analyzed thus far -- school now ranks #3 before alcohol and swearing.

Before You Go

Lent Meditation Slideshow

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