How much do you use Twitter?

[fatdaddy]

Since I get banned regularly from Facebook, I've been forced to use Twitter. I'm not sure what changes they've made, but it seems easier to use than I remember. The problem is that I find Twitter is being used to direct me to things that are posted on FB or Instagram, nobody seems to use Twitter as their primary social media app. Not only that, but a lot of the personal acounts of athletes, celebrities, etc. seem to be only on FB, so by using only Twitter I am missing a lot of content because it simply isn't posted to Twitter at all. In the end I've set up FB to be only for personal accounts, no business or other accounts that would allow people to "report" me, but by doing so I no longer have any access to many pages that just don't use Twitter at all.

[GCI Wooden]

I chose the second option, I only really care about a few accounts, so I probably spend about half an hour a week on the site. Your Twitter is awesome, I love following along with the live updates you post from your visits to parks (And the crap giveaways).

 

I do like how they don't throttle anyone's posts, and still displaying them by time posted. I wish more sites still did that (Looking at you Facebook).

[robbalvey]

The problem is that I find Twitter is being used to direct me to things that are posted on FB or Instagram, nobody seems to use Twitter as their primary social media app.

This actually annoys me quite a bit. And the people who do this are usually the ones that don't understand the social media platform and use Twitter as an "RSS Feed" for their FB or Instagram posts.

 

IMO, any Twitter account that is doing this regularly, unfollow that account. They just don't understand how to use Twitter.

[coasterkid124]

I originally voted for don't use it, but changed it to the next option up after a little thought. Technically, I don't have a Twitter account, and quite honestly probably never will. I socialize with people through my phone, and choose not to follow or friend people online who I barely talk to. I used to find that social media was very cluttered with updates that I don't care about, and it opened up for drama with people for no reason.

 

That is the reason mainly why I stay away from it. However, this is my perspective after years of using Facebook, not Twitter. Mainly, I indirectly use Twitter for news, updates, etc. While I don't have an account, I do search for TPR and some other sources to see some content (ex WCB and IAAPA updates). Also, I use Bleacher Report to keep up with sports teams, and they directly link a lot of posts to twitter, so that's another way that I keep informed.

 

I guess that I can't say that I never use it, but when I do for the occasional update, I do not have an account.

[The Great Zo]

I'm a heavy Twitter user. For my interests (coasters, hockey, music) I find it to be the most direct and simple means of providing content of value, without a huge overhead of fluff. It can be conversational if you want it to be, but for me, the most important part is the ability to have a curated, un-filtered feed of exactly what I'm looking for.

 

Furthermore, Twitter's also a much more suitable platform for academic / professional communication than other social media, and it's the best way for me to keep up with my peers and colleagues in my career.

 

Finally, Twitter's a little less personal than Facebook, which I'm 100% fine with!

 

So it's pretty much everything I need from a social platform in one place, and why I don't really bother with any others.

[Wingwright]

I use Twitter all the time, but I don't use it to interact with people I know personally.

 

Instead, I use it to keep up with the industries and hobbies I love.

It's a direct feed of news and events happening in niche hobbies of mine, directly from the people involved in them.

[SmokiesFriend]

Don't have a way to use Twitter, not smartass phone. FB is better for my purposes as well as this site.

[larrygator]

I sort of fall into the 3rd and 4th options. I use it to follow TPR, but only when TPR is on a trip or hosting an event.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

I sort of fall into the 3rd and 4th options. I use it to follow TPR, but only when TPR is on a trip or hosting an event.

This is pretty much my use of it too. I don't have an account, but when an event is going on, and I know there will be Twitter posts throughout the event, I'll check it periodically. I checked Twitter during West Coast Bash, and during Kansas City's Planet Comic-Con. Outside of events like those, I don't use it at all.

[JRice92]

I'm in the "have a twitter and don't use it" group. It's to much hassle to check all the social media's. I regularly check and follow TPR on Instagram & Facebook. I'm in the forums here literally everyday.

[Philrad71]

I know that this probably isn't much help, but I admit that I don't use any social media (including Twitter) because, ya know...most people are idiots. And from what I read, most of them enjoy trolling social media as a hobby because they're basically losers with no life (IE: TPR shirt burning asshat).

 

That and I'm old and I just don't think I'd ever use it even if I downloaded it and set up an account. I notice a similar pattern amongst the older crowd where they may have an account set up, but rarely use it...or they don't even have an account at all.

 

Although I do admit that I do scroll through the Twitter feeds on the home page here on TPR when there is an event going on. It's like getting that little "sneak peak" before the actual trip reports come out.

[bert425]

I don't use it at all, because I'm old and set in my ways, and my phone is for making calls (and the occasional pic).

 

heck, I didn't even get an iPhone until earlier this year, and it's a hand me down iPhone 4.

 

I know, I know. . but I don't even web surf, Facebook, or play games (nevermind Pokemon, I don't even angry pigs, or candy crunch) on my phone.

[bert425]

That and I'm old and I just don't think I'd ever use it even if I downloaded it and set up an account. I notice a similar pattern amongst the older crowd where they may have an account set up, but rarely use it...or they don't even have an account at all.

 

 

HAHAHAHAHAHA. . . I gave almost the exact same answer

[vfire]

I have Twitter, FB, Instagram accounts but never use them. Tried them all but they all left me cold and disinterested. I still prefer online discussion boards and forums because they specialize in their one topic, and that's why I'm here. Heck, I wish we could go back to Usenet again. But then again, I guess I'm just old.

[Philrad71]

That and I'm old and I just don't think I'd ever use it even if I downloaded it and set up an account. I notice a similar pattern amongst the older crowd where they may have an account set up, but rarely use it...or they don't even have an account at all.

 

 

HAHAHAHAHAHA. . . I gave almost the exact same answer

 

I think Betty White summed up social media (Facebook) best when she hosted SNL - Best. SNL. Ever.

 

Not to hijack the thread, but here is the transcript in case you didn't catch it...

 

"You know, I have so many people to thank for being here, but I really have to thank Facebook. [ the audience cheers wildly ] When I first heard about the campaign to get me to host "Saturday Night Live", I didn’t know what Facebook was. And, now that I do know what it is, I have to say... it sounds like a HUGE waste of time. [ the audience cheers and applauds wildly ] I would never say that people on it are losers... but that’s only because I’m polite.

 

People say, "But Betty, Facebook is a great way to connect with old friends." Well, at my age, if I want to connect with old friends... I need a Ouji board. Needless to say, we didn’t have Facebook when I was growing up. We had Phonebook, but... you wouldn’t waste an afternoon on it. Facebook just sounds like a drag. In my day, seeing pictures of people’s vacations was considered a punishment. And, when we were kids, we didn’t say we were single. We were just kids! It was weird if you weren't single! Yes, we had poking... but... it wasn’t something you did on a computer. It was -- it was something you did on a hayride. Under a blanket. [ she strikes a nostalgic, faraway glance, then returns to Earth ] Oh! Sorry."

 

Betty rules!

[allenhuffman]

I set notification alerts up on a handful of accounts, and really only pay attention to what they post. The rest of the time, I use it to crosspost from Facebook pages I manage. I rarely use my personal account.

[Cyrbuzz]

I don't use Twitter at all. I use Facebook or just the forums on whatever sites I view.

[rollerrider111]

never

[K258]

I maybe only check Twitter once a week. Most of those I follow on Twitter post duplicates on Facebook.

[DoinItForTheFame]

I use it often. A little to often probably. I usually tweet every hour, on the hour. However, I never really read any one else's content, (unless I am directly mentioned in it.) I just post to all of my followers, and I read their responses and interact with them.

[Waltrane]

I comment more on Twitter with you than I post here. It's the number one reason I just joined Club TPR.

[Samuel]

I log in to Twitter about once a week for my own account, but I study the platform by way of interest in communication more than I enjoy it as a vehicle that has traction in my personal life. Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn are the "big three" for me, with Reddit in fourth and the others as occasional check-ins. I follow businesses and people on Twitter that have value to me, but that amounts to a small collage of accounts and subject matter. I'll also look for real-time news and updates, which almost always beats network news coverage to the punch these days, if I'm interested in a particular event as it unfolds. The platform's impact at large is irrefutable, but I believe that too few businesses offer genuine incentive to follow them (or just broadcast one-way info/treat it as an RSS dump), I have few friends who use it, and I'm not interested in the pop-trends/celebrity hooks that have enticed people like my aunt to the platform (not kidding -- she combs for Heath Ledger gossip every day).

 

Robb, I have five friends who follow your social accounts and love to regularly retweet, share, and like TPR's content. Whereas I love amusement parks and coasters, their hobby is to surface-scratch things like coaster videos, outer space, sea creatures, fun facts, polls, recipes, fashion, and so on. It's like modern-day channel surfing. People jump from videos of bugs fighting in jars to a tweeted "OMG wild ride," and seeking these crumbs of cumulative content throughout the day has become a habit for them. They're super-consumers of social media and I'm sure great cheerleaders for TPR, even if they don't actually care much about coasters. It takes a village. Coasters are very social-friendly: eye-catching, fun, and can be presented in short snippets that make big impressions, which lends well to circulation from influencers and heavy social users, as I'm sure you know!

 

In contrast, I enjoy real connections and deeper conversation in several specific hobbies that hold genuine interest to me. I also like to read and write, so while bite-sized Twitter encourages creativity in the sense of overcoming character limitations, it stifles my ability to interact more deeply with a community. I know that you can now compose longer direct messages, but I already have an established presence on several sites that allow me to do the same. I peruse tweeted updates and photos from TPR's Twitter, but I prefer the donkey hub of TPR itself & its community, as well as a few subreddits for other interests. I may not retweet everything from TPR, but I'm also someone who will plan a trip to go on that ride I just retweeted, and I'll look to further discuss said ride with others who are coherent and enthusiastic about it. From a TPR perspective, there may be more active Twitter users out there compared to me, but from my perspective, if a user's bio is "I like farts and ur mom lol," I'm not going message that person and say, "Hey, I saw that you retweeted the Shambhala video & you seem like an inane wacko! Cool!" So, I tend gravitate to these more focused, boutique-style online communities over the "everyone and anyone has a voice" Twitter approach.

[Pecantan904]

I never use Twitter...Facebook is my go to application.

[sjbrown23]

I love Twitter... it's definitely the social media I use the most!

[snorkymn]

I use Facebook pretty much exclusively. I don't have time to check multiple social media sites for information from friends, family, companies, groups, etc.