Twitter users in the USA are social and political activists

NEW YORK, US: American adults who use the social networking Web site Twitter are more likely than the average adult to be highly active on the Internet as well as in their communities, and are heavily involved in blogs, videos and the political process, according to GfK MRI's Survey of the American Consumer.

GfK MRI's extensive consumer insights data indicate that people who use Twitter are highly active when it comes to blogging, video sharing and posting reviews. They are 506% more likely than the average US adult to write an online blog, 451% more likely to upload or add video to a Web site, and 314% more likely to post a comment or review on a blog, online forum, message or bulletin board. These active Internet users are also 269% more likely to own an electronic book reader.

In addition to being active online, Twitter users are also socially and politically active. For instance, they index highly for all 17 of the public activities measured by GfK MRI. They are 209% more likely to have written something that has been published, 142% more likely to participate in environmental groups/causes, 141% more likely to be an active member of any group that tries to influence public policy or government, and 103% more likely to have attended a political rally, speech or protest in the last 12 months.

Twitter users are influential

"GfK MRI data clearly indicate that Twitter users are an influential group of people, engaged in a variety of public activities, and willing to share their thoughts through blogging and published works," said Anne Marie Kelly, SVP, Marketing and Strategic Planning at GfK MRI. "This group of people is also probably interested in finding that next big trend, as illustrated by their higher-than-average ownership of electronic book readers."

When conducting its national Survey of the American Consumer, GfK MRI interviews approximately 26 000 US adults in their homes each year, asking about their use of media, their consumption of more than 6000 products in 550 categories, their lifestyles and their attitudes.

Because these interviews are structured as an area-probability study, the results are projectable to the entire US adult population. The survey also serves as a foundation for an array of innovative GfK MRI research products that answer the market's need for granular, cross-media and consumer-focused information.