Sociologist and ethnographer, Liz Pullen, spent a month tracking the top 500 Twitter users (as ranked by number of followers) as well as the much-contested suggested users list. In tracking these accounts, she also closely analyzed the behaviors of new adopters and their expectations of the service. Perhaps her conclusions will help us all understand – and hopefully improve – the dismal attrition rates for the service.
Are new users able to understand and take advantage of Twitter as a powerful tool? Or are they encouraged to think of it as yet another broadcast medium? Is the suggested users list a good strategy for improving new users’ experience with Twitter? Most importantly, do we or should we use Twitter a social network, an information network, or a microblogging platform?
Pullen’s research covers topics such as race, age, and profession in the fastest-growing and suggested Twitter accounts. Her academic expertise also adds a very rational, impartial, and valuable voice to the social media dialogue, which is a warmly welcomed side effect of non-techies’ adoption of Twitter.
Watch this fascinating take on social media from a sociologist’s POV, and in the comments, let us know how you get the most benefit from Twitter.
