Twitter Usage Decline Could Indicate a Trend Moving Forward

About 60 percent of Americans who have used Twitter in the past year report taking a break from the platform during that time, with 25 percent of them predicting they are unlikely to be using the service a year from now, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. The survey of adult Twitter users was conducted March 13-19, approximately five months after billionaire Elon Musk purchased the site in October. The findings come amidst media debates as to whether Twitter is “dying,” according to Pew, which notes some high-level celebrity defections since Musk took over the social site. Continue reading Twitter Usage Decline Could Indicate a Trend Moving Forward

Snapchat Now Third Most Popular Social App with Millennials

According to comScore research, Snapchat is now the third most popular social app among the millennial demographic (18-34 year olds). With 32.9 percent penetration on mobile phones, Snapchat trails only Facebook and Instagram. Jumping from 12.1 percent back in November 2013, the app is now more popular with millennials than Twitter, Pinterest, Vine, Google+ or Tumblr. The shift is important considering that this age group is the most active of mobile social networkers. Continue reading Snapchat Now Third Most Popular Social App with Millennials

Whisper and Secret: New Messaging Apps Offer Users Anonymity

A new trend in social apps has arrived, allowing users to post anonymously, giving them a feeling of freedom without consequences for their actions on the Web. New messaging apps Whisper and Secret, for example, offer a way to share anonymous posts about anything. Popular apps such as Snapchat, Telegram and Frankly revolve around messages that self-destruct after they are read. These anonymous approaches may pose a significant threat to other social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Continue reading Whisper and Secret: New Messaging Apps Offer Users Anonymity

Why is PostSecret the Best-Selling iOS App in America this Week?

  • In its first four days of availability, the PostSecret iTunes app has drawn more than 100,000 users sharing more than 50,000 secrets.
  • The $1.99 app is an extension of the popular community art project that started with people mailing in postcards containing their secrets and later spawned five New York Times bestselling books and a 2.1 million member online community.
  • “Sharing a secret and connecting with someone that has a similar secret provides a cathartic release for people to overcome loneliness,” explains creator Frank Warren. “While the PostSecret app allows secret sharers to connect, they are doing so in a safe, anonymous and protected environment where no personal information exchanged.”
  • Wired.com adds: “At a time when we often don’t know if our connection to our gadgets is pulling us away from actual human interaction or revealing too much about who we are and where we go, creating an app that collects our most intimate secrets and keeps us anonymous — while simultaneously making us feel closer — could prove to be a welcome relief.”
  • An Android version of the app is expected later this year.