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

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.

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