Twitter Analysis

Using the Twitter data from one user, attempt to write an analysis of how the technology has affected the language used, and then post to your blog. Remember context as a priority.

I have used Anna Kendrick as my example of a famous twitter user.

Posts on Twitter, ‘tweets’, can only have a maximum of 140 characters, it was created to replicate the original format of texting. It has now been modernised for the current generation to embrace short hand messaging. The users are restricted to a certain amount of characters, therefore they are forced to use abbreviations and punctuation for effect. A new feature that Twitter has introduced  is ‘hash tags’ which aim to lower the character count, they’re also a way of building a community around a commonly shared idea. They make the things that you tweet about more relatable to a wider audience, however that audience is mainly going to be young adults and teenagers.

                Twitter is commonly used by this demographic because of the instant updates and the celebrities that use the platform; it is way of connecting with them on a more personal level. The limited characters has forced it’s users to be concise and direct with their opinions ‘When I was a kid I’m pretty sure I had a T-shirt of Bugs Bunny wearing a backwards hat and a leather jacket. The 90s were a weird time.’ Humour is a common device used in these 140 character messages, because the aim of them is to a get a response through favourites and retweets. This has shaped how the users express themselves so that they get the best response possible.

                The actual language used in Twitter differs from the language of a text message, because abbreviations, and phonetic spelling aren’t very common, instead the users stick to standard grammar but condensed ideas. The senetences structures rarely change from simple sentences; “Sam Bailey is everything.’ And ‘Jared Leto has better hair than me.; are examples of this from Anna Kendrick’s latest Tweets.

- What does she use it for
- What can you tell about Anna Kendrick from her tweets
- Realtionship between her and audience