Did you know that the world is collectively grumpy every morning? Or that Lady Gaga has more “monsters” following her online than the population of Texas?
Microblogging site Twitter not only provides us with what people are thinking throughout the world at any point in time with its “Trending Topics,” but it also, when analyzed, clues us in on certain universal human behaviors and desires. We’ve rounded up a set of more recent studies and factoids provided by Twitter statistics over the last two years to get a snapshot of society today. The data also dives into where tweets originate, and what our discussions say about worldwide trends.
What we eat (and it’s not good)
Unfortunately, humanity doesn’t eat so well, according to our tweets. The top two food topics last year were the McLobster and Fried Kool-Aid, with Guinness beer not too far behind on the list. For 2012, we expect to see something about the Taco Bell’s Dorito Taco.
When humanity is collectively happy (or grumpy)
A report from Cornell University found that, in general, people are grumpy when they first roll out of bed, but they perk up by breakfast time. Throughout the afternoon our moods start to slump again, only to rise around quittin’ time (6 p.m). Cornell researchers found these results by weighing positive verses negative tweets posted by more than 2 million people around the world. Interestingly enough, no matter the location, humanity experienced similar rises and falls in mood throughout the day.
Where the chattiest people live
A 2012 study by the Oxford Internet Institute found that out of 4.5 million Twitter posts, the U.S. created 30 percent of the world’s tweets, followed by Brazil with 22 percent. The United Kingdom and Indonesia tied for third place with 6 percent each.
How much we love our celebrities
Humanity adores its celebrities, and Twitter is just one of many avenues available for stalking pop stars. Lady Gaga has over 27 million followers on Twitter, meaning that her clan of “little monsters” is larger than the entire state of Texas. Justin Bieber isn’t too far behind, recently acquiring 25 million followers and a dance of jubilee from Twitter employees.
Where we get our news
According to a 2012 Pew study, Facebook tends to provide more news from friends and family, while Twitter is more likely to provide journalistic news. And even still, both social media platforms provided less news than originally hypothesized.
That older folks need connections too
The University of Alabama surveyed nearly 8,000 people in 2012, finding that participants over the age of 50 who used Twitter (and Facebook) were one-third less likely to develop symptoms of depression than those not using social media. So maybe it’s time to get grandma a Twitter handle?
When popular culture is going viral… even if it shouldn’t
Throughout 2011, Rebecca Black’s hit (?) “Friday” was the most-discussed song around the Twittersphere. (Our bets are on Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” for 2012!) “Thor” was also the most tweeted about film, and “Pretty Little Liars” scored the most Twitter clout for television.
Within the last week, both “Batman” and “The Dark Knight Rises” have been trending in cities across the U.S.
How sports bring Tweeps together
According to Mashable, we tweet heavily during sporting events. In the 2012 European Championship for soccer, there were 15,358 tweets sent per second, and during the last minutes of the 2012 Super Bowl, 10,245 tweets were sent per second. Some close runner-up events were Tim Tebow’s overtime touchdown pass on Jan. 8, 2012, as well as two moments from the 2012 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
That women are more social (and maybe becoming more tech-Savvy)
There are more women than men on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, according to Digital Flash NY, which also means you might see more women entering the tech field soon. “Increasingly the people who are using these social media platforms are women,” said Sarah Leary, co-founder of social networking site NextDoor n an interview with HuffPost. “So it’s not surprising that women are increasingly playing a larger role in leading these companies or founding these companies.”
What topics send Tweeters into a tizzy
Hashtags signify Twitter’s popular topics, and throughout the last year there was plenty to tweet about. The most used hashtag of 2011 was #egypt, referring to that country’s revolution that occurred during the Arab Spring. Charlie Sheen was also having his highly-mediated meltdown around that time, pushing that famous tag he coined, #tigerblood, to second place. Ironic or witty hashtags also made the list, like #idontunderstandwhy and #improudtosay.
