Twitter has recently published a report, attempting to highlight just how impactful tweets can be to the whole process of sharing news online.
The way that we consume news has rapidly evolved since the 2000s, back when headlines were identified through newspapers and cable TV. The advent of social media changed the landscape of news delivery and took a massive chunk out of the profits and vitality of the conventional routes in the process. To this day, newspapers and cable TV are feeling the effects, and while the latter’s still surviving well enough in this new ecosystem, the former has been condemned to massive lay-offs and transitions to online media. In the current era, I’d imagine that about 90% of consumed news media comes from social media, which is further complicated by clickbait headlines selling fake or misinterpreted information (because who has the time to double check their sources?). I’d even further wager that the same older generations who condemn social media as a whole are actively utilizing it for staying up to date, even if they won’t admit to it.
Now, the likes of TikTok and Instagram are thriving in this environment, but what about Twitter? As I’ve mentioned before in multiple articles, Twitter isn’t exactly the most popular social media platform anymore; not that it ever was, but there’s a notable difference between standing next to Facebook and looming in its shadow. Younger generations respond more to visually engaging content, such as the aforementioned short-form video content generator that is TikTok, and Twitter’s microblogging sensibilities don’t suit them. However, the latter would have you believe that this is not at all the case and that there is an argument to be made for Twitter still being a very influential social media platform.
The infographic that we’re discussing today posits the following idea: Twitter may not be as actively used as other social media platforms, but through sharing screenshots and other forms of citation that aren’t easily tracked, it still maintains healthy online relevance. Honestly, it’s not all that off the mark, since Twitter is still considered to be a major source of online trends. However, the graphic smartly chooses to not comment on userbase numbers, instead highlighting just how important news is as a medium to the platform’s community. 94% of users express interest in current events, 85% consume news through multiple sources, and 83% tweet about it.
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The way that we consume news has rapidly evolved since the 2000s, back when headlines were identified through newspapers and cable TV. The advent of social media changed the landscape of news delivery and took a massive chunk out of the profits and vitality of the conventional routes in the process. To this day, newspapers and cable TV are feeling the effects, and while the latter’s still surviving well enough in this new ecosystem, the former has been condemned to massive lay-offs and transitions to online media. In the current era, I’d imagine that about 90% of consumed news media comes from social media, which is further complicated by clickbait headlines selling fake or misinterpreted information (because who has the time to double check their sources?). I’d even further wager that the same older generations who condemn social media as a whole are actively utilizing it for staying up to date, even if they won’t admit to it.
Now, the likes of TikTok and Instagram are thriving in this environment, but what about Twitter? As I’ve mentioned before in multiple articles, Twitter isn’t exactly the most popular social media platform anymore; not that it ever was, but there’s a notable difference between standing next to Facebook and looming in its shadow. Younger generations respond more to visually engaging content, such as the aforementioned short-form video content generator that is TikTok, and Twitter’s microblogging sensibilities don’t suit them. However, the latter would have you believe that this is not at all the case and that there is an argument to be made for Twitter still being a very influential social media platform.
The infographic that we’re discussing today posits the following idea: Twitter may not be as actively used as other social media platforms, but through sharing screenshots and other forms of citation that aren’t easily tracked, it still maintains healthy online relevance. Honestly, it’s not all that off the mark, since Twitter is still considered to be a major source of online trends. However, the graphic smartly chooses to not comment on userbase numbers, instead highlighting just how important news is as a medium to the platform’s community. 94% of users express interest in current events, 85% consume news through multiple sources, and 83% tweet about it.
Read next: Misinformation Adjacent Ads Could Seriously Compromise Brand Trustworthiness
