Youngest adults not twitterpated with Twitter

More evidence that social networking isn’t just for the kids: According to a new study by the Participatory Media Network and Pace University, only 22 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds use Twitter. This pales in comparison to this same group’s participation on sites such as Facebook and MySpace, where use is nearly universal.

So why aren’t more of the youngest adults twitterpated? There are several possibilities, but I think this reveals some of Twitter’s shortcomings—the fact that Twitter is more about self-promotion than the larger community, for example. And whereas Facebook gives users a bird’s-eye view of the latest news in their friends’ lives, Twitter provides just a glimpse at a time. Twitter is significantly more labor intensive, making it perhaps not worth the effort unless it’s important to have constant updates. Can you think of any friends whose news is so timely and immediate that you’ll miss something without a constant connection? Probably not many. Isn’t it easier to get an overview of what everyone is doing a couple of times a day?

I’ll admit that even though I’m on Twitter, I’m a skeptic. Some businesses--like NAKEDPizza, for example--have made great use of micro-blogging. But unless it’s a first-priority strategy, it’s hard to justify from a ROI standpoint (even if all you’re investing is time). I certainly may change my mind; after all, not too long ago, I didn’t see the need for a Twitter account . But for now, I think it’s worth listening to the 18- to 24-year-olds. Just don’t expect to hear a lot of tweets from them anytime soon.

--Anthony J.