1. Is
a blog or a
How and why users
using
?
SNS?
are
Presented by
○ Kyoko Kato
Graduate School of Communication Studies
Tokyo Keizai University
Yasuyuki Kawaura
Faculty of Communication Studies
Tokyo Keizai University
2009 年の社会心理学会大会での発表資
料です。
1

2. Twitter is…
 A social networking and micro-blogging service.
 Capable of sending and reading updates known
as “tweets” from a computer or a mobile device.
 “Tweets” are text-based posts of up to 140
characters in length.
2

3. Twitter Sample Page
3

4. Twitter’s growth
1 8000
1 7082
UU(000)
1 6000
1 4000
1 2000
1 3858
1 0000
8000
7038
6000
4000
4456
2000
200
0
U.S
J a pa n
J a n - 09
4456
200
239
Fe b - 09
7038
239
357
Ma r- 09
1 3858
357
521
Apr- 09
1 7082
521
(NetRatings, 2009)
4

5. Objectives
• Highlight the differences between Twitter
and a blog
• Highlight the differences between Twitter
and a SNS
• Understand how and why people use Twitter
• Demonstrate how people’s lives have
changed using Twitter
5

6. The Differences
SNS Users
Bloggers
 Self-presentation
 Build and maintain contacts with
friends and acquaintances
 “Acquaintance-Site”
 Self-presentation
 Social interaction
 Outlet to gather information
 Consummatory activity
 Personal exploration
 Stress release
 An outlet to share information
 Communicate with readers
Blog Readers
 Gather information on topics and
events
 A new way of learning about
people they may not know, know
well, or see often
6

7. Methods
An online survey From June 8 -11, 2009:
Key Questions:
 Frequency of twitter access and tweets
 Number of follows and followers
 Why do you use twitter? (open question)
 How has your life changed after using Twitter?
(open question)
7

8. Demographic of Respondents
Total Number of Valid responses: n= 197
 Males (155), Females (42)
 Unemployed/students (34)
 Employed/self employed (163)
 Teenagers (6)
 Adults 20’s (55), 30s (78), 40s (49), and 50’s+ (9)
8

9. Why are you using Twitter?
1. Street Corner / Same environment:
 “I am not lonely, I just want to stand on a busy street
corner” (Female, 40s, employee).
 “I’m working alone but I feel like I’m in the same big
room with follows and followers” (Male, 40s, self
employed).
2. News Source:
 “Twitter is the fastest news source in the world” (Male,
30s, employee and others).
 “Receiving important news tweets by followings, are
easier than visiting news sites or blogs” (Male, 50s,
employee and others).
9

10. Why are you using Twitter?
3. Weak tie:
 “Compared to a SNS, having a weaker connection is
more comfortable for me” (Male, 20s, employee; Female,
20s, student and others).
4. Life log:
 “I use twitter as a lifelog.” (Male, 30s, employee)
10

11. After using Twitter, how has
your daily life changed?
1. Decrease in the Frequency of:
 “Decrease in the frequency of using other SNS’s” (Male, low 40s,
employee).
 “Decrease in the frequency of reading books” (Female, low 40s,
employee).
 “Dramatic decrease in the frequency of updating a blog” (Male,
under 20, student; Male, 30s, employee).
2. Addiction:
 “Twitter has become a part of my life” (Male, 30s, employee).
 “Twitter has become an addiction” (Female, 40s, freelancer).
 “I always use Twitter via my iPhone” (Male, 30s, employee;
Female, 40s, freelancer).
11

12. After using Twitter, how has
your daily life changed?
3. New Face to Face
Relationships:
“Twitter has increased my opportunity to meet new
people” (Male, late 40s).
“I am now more involved in meeting people through
off-line meetings” (Male, late 20s, employee; Male,
low 20s, student).
4. Word of Mouth:
“It’s fun to try new restaurants recommended by
Tweets” (Male, low 40s, employee).
“Increase in the frequency of drinking Dororich
(crème with clashed jelly) introduced by Tweets”
(Male, under 20, student).
12

13. Result of Cluster Analysis
Cluster
Visit
Tweet
Following Followers
n
1
High
High
688
723
21
2
High
High
156
149
34
3
High
Low
171
163
42
4
Low
Low
82
71
36
Ward method

14. Characteristics of Each Cluster
Gender
1
2
3
4
Total
Male
27
43
40
45
155
Female
3
16
11
12
42
30
59
51
57
197
1
22▲
8▽
30
2
33
26
59
3
27
24
51
4
21▽
36▲
57
Total
103
94
197
n.s.
Age
＜35
35＜＝
▲
（ significantly-high, ▽ significantly-low, p<.05）
Chi-Square Test. Heavy users are young & light users are old.
14

15. Characteristics of each Cluster
Cluster 1-Represents heavy users:
• They read and tweet many times and many follows
and followers and are young.
Cluster 2-Also represents heavy users:
• But they do not have many follows and followers.
Cluster 3- Represents heavy readers of Twitter:
• But they don’t spend a lot of time tweeting.
Cluster 4- Represents light users:
• They don’t read or tweet often and have few
followers and follows. They tend to fall in an older
age bracket.
15

16. Discussion

Twitter is a way to build and maintain
relationships with friends and acquaintances
who meet infrequently.

An increase in purchasing products and eating
at restaurants recommended in “tweets” has
been observed (WOM).
16

17. Discussion -
continued
 Seminars and events covered live on Twitter called
“Tsuda-ru” are supported by participants.
(using hash tag like #jssp50)
 Since using Twitter, it has been observed that blog
updates, visits to SNS’s and news portals have
decreased in frequency.
 Using Twitter increases the probability of connecting
with new people, having off-line meetings and ultimately
forming new interpersonal relationships.
17

18. Thank you!
This is just the beginning of research about the
communication of Twitter.
It has become a new communication tool, seems to
different from other social media.
I plan to continue gathering more detailed research about
Twitter communication and look forward to bringing it to
you in the near future.
Thank you very much for your interest and listening to me
today.
18

19. References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
boyd, d. (2006). Friends, friendsters, and top 8.
〈 http://firstmonday.org/ htbin/cgiwrap/
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Ellison, N., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2007). The benefits of
Facebook ‘‘friends.’’ Journal of Computer-Mediated
Communication, 12 (4). 〈 http:// jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/
issue4/ellison.html 〉
HubSpot(2008). State of the Twittersphere.
〈 http://cdnqa.hubteam.com/ State_of_the_
Twittersphere_by_HubSpot_Q4-2008.pdf 〉
加藤恭子 (2006). 友人ブログと他人ブログ 日本社会心理学会 47 回大会
〈 http:// db1.wdcjp.com/cgibin/jssp/wbpnew/master/detail00.php?
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加藤恭子・川浦康至 (2007). 人はなぜブログを読むのか コミュニケーシ
ョン科学（東京経済大学コミュニケーション学部） , 26, 91-103.
NetRatings (2009). 米国発のマイクロブログサービス「 Twitter 」の
利用者が日本でも順調に増加
〈 http://csp.netratings.co.jp/nnr/PDF/Newsrelease05272009
_J.pdf 〉
19
Pew Internet (2009). Twitter and status updating.