Does Your Age Make A Difference With Your Tweet?
I was playing with my granddaughter the other day and letting her play on my laptop. Of course Twitter was up on the screen. It got me thinking. What do different age groups tweet about? Does age matter on Twitter with your tweet?
The Youngest and Oldest on Twitter
It was difficult to find out who is the youngest person on Twitter but I came across this interesting piece about tweeting from the womb. Now that is an early start.
Many of you may remember the oldest person. She was 104 and on both Twitter and Facebook. Her name was Ivy Bean. She was an inspiration to many who thought they were too old to be on social media.
What Is the Average Age on Twitter?
39 is the average age of a person on Twitter today but that average age is rising. Those age 65 and older is a growing segment on Twitter according to the Pew Research on Twitter. It is important to know how to target your tweet to different age groups and to know what they tweet about.
Twitter does have a policy for kids to be at least 13 to sign up for an account but it's not enforced by birth certificates or anything. Parents can set up their kids account to private so followers have to be approved first. Your tweet may not be seen by them.
Young People On Twitter
There is a Twitter account called @HonestToddler and they tweet from the mind of a toddler. It's a funny and quirky Twitter handle. As you can see below you can get creative with your tweet to younger people.
Don't leave your child in the car. Pretend they're something you wouldn't want to get too hot. Like a bottle of chardonnay.
- Honest Toddler (@HonestToddler) August 5, 2015
Every adults dream is to lie in bed in cotton pajamas and play on their phone until nightfall. - Honest Toddler (@HonestToddler) July 23, 2015
Deep down, we are all Michelle Tanner pic.twitter.com/Gh5GNXZnfL
- 90s Kids (@WeAre90sKids) August 10, 2015
Sharpie is a brand that caters to kids and teens on Twitter. Here are some examples:
RT @KernanFarms: Our Little Jacks love a @Sharpie! pic.twitter.com/6jz70W25Fn <tx for the reminder. #Halloween right around the corner! - Sharpie (@Sharpie) September 19, 2013
Finally got my One Direction Sharpies 💕@Sharpiepic.twitter.com/Nm4n5ZG4Km
- Maria Ortiz ✨ (@smartymaria) September 4, 2013
You can read more about their tactics for targeting teens on Social Media Examiner Sharpie case study. This can help you with your tweet to younger folks on the Twitter network.
Twitter in the Classroom
Many teachers are using Twitter in the classroom. They are starting to use Twitter in elementary school. It doesn't mean each kid has their own Twitter handle. Many like Ms. L's class use it but the kids send their tweets to their teacher. She then has to approve it before it goes live. It is used as a connecting, sharing, and learning tool. It is a way for teachers to bring the world into the classroom. They can ask authors and politicians questions and get answers back.
Some teachers use Twitter to share calendar events with parents. They can also use Twitter to engage with parents. Some classrooms use Twitter to track weather and the stock market. Teachers and students can get very creative with different ways to use Twitter in the classroom today.
Older People On Twitter
@QuiltingMuriel is 96 years of age and her tweets are quite funny. She is an inspiration to follow.
I can't believe this #ashleymadisonhack. When I was young we had to rely on gossiping neighbors to let us know our husbands were cheating.
- Muriel B (@QuiltingMuriel) August 21, 2015
You know we oldies invented recycling, been doing it for over 80 years. It started with Xmas fruit cake & bad birthday gifts... - Muriel B (@QuiltingMuriel) August 20, 2015
No one knows how many days we each have left, so every Monday is a gift and a joy! #MondayMotivation
- Muriel B (@QuiltingMuriel) August 10, 2015
Notice the difference between the younger peep and older peeps tweets? The younger folks use more images (and video) where the older peeps may not know how to insert images or videos into their posts. Older people tend to use more text only tweets. I saw this with other older peeps in the Twitter stream too. So if your tweet is targeted to younger people be sure to include images and or video!
What Are Other Stats of Twitter Users?
Other statistics show that more college educated people use Twitter today more than ever. Those that earn over $75,000 also are top users on Twitter. (Stats from the Pew Research, good to know for your tweet). Most also live in urban areas. 36% of users use Twitter daily. The proportion of Twitter users who visit the site daily is a significant decrease from the 46% of users who did so in August 2013. We must remember too that there are many more social networking sites since then. Some may have found Twitter to be boring. Others are just not logging in but viewing tweets via the Google search now.
Do you know some very young or very people on Twitter? Do you think age matters with your tweet today? I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments below.
