Everyone is embracing Twitter — except teens.

A new report from Nielsen seems to confirm what most social media folks already knew: Twitter is for adults. As you can see in the chart below, the under-25 crowd has been slow to embrace the brief-messaging service, especially compared to older age groups.

Why does this news seem so surprising? Because MySpace, Facebook and most other social sites got their start with teenagers and college students, then gradually spread into the mainstream.

Twitter is different. It serves a function that relatively few teens need. Text messaging, Facebook, online forums and massively multiplayer games allow young people to communicate in almost every way they would want.

The original intent of Twitter was to let you, essentially, text message the world. That's great for business networking, job hunting, thought leadership, brand fulfillment, growing blog readership for profit — all things that have little appeal to those of college age or younger. If your primary goal is communicating with friends, there are plenty of better options than Twitter, especially if you don't want creepy gawkers listening in.

So while it's great to see stats that prove Twitter's popularity among adults, it's hard to be too shocked. And it's also strangely refreshing to think that "the next big thing" might originate with our peers instead of our kids.

Via Mashable.

Comments

[Gary Moneysmith]

Facebook is mostly about staying in touch with people you already know and care about. And being a teen -- what's more important than staying in the social loop? Twitter is about people (and ideas) that you'd LIKE to know. As teens get older and move into the workforce, they'll readily include Twitter into their daily toolset; using computers to network will be first nature. Only then it'll be for business AND social reasons.

[Alan Wolk]

Actually, Tweens and Teens are on Twitter - check this: http://www.slideshare.net/AlanWolk/tweens-on-twitter

and also see this from Danah Boyd: http://bit.ly/ZTtXK

[sexytisha69]

A research just come out saying teens are not using twitter and http://www.TeensAbout.com says they are going to change that. Do you think they have a chance? Their tagline is below.

TeenAbout is a live updates and texting project for-teens-by-teens giving all teens around the world a safe place to keep up with friends and make new friends (Live updats, texting) without having to deal with grown-ups on other social networks. Not only can you tell other teens around the world what you are up to, you can show them using our picture uploading feature. Talk about anything from breaking hot topics, news, to updates from friends. The question of the hour is...what are you doing?

[Promotional Products]

I think teens are slowly turning on to twitter, but the graphic you have is very interesting. I think Twitter is a great way for adults to briefly get a message out there like you described.

[wow gold]

Unsurprisingly, of course as a teen we would like something entertaining. I wouldn't be surprised if FB and Myspace could get the share of Twitter's users that's because of the MMO games being offered and the fact that sharing what's on your mind is just as easy as using Twitter plus it's more visual. If Twitter's want to target young adult, then the best way is to tie up with Blizzard for world of warcraft (that's a joke ;D) I mean with Zynga for more web interactions.