Facebook versus Twitter versus Instagram who uses each and why
Social media is one of the major networking tools that has been embraced worldwide, turning the whole world into a global village. It has made it possible to connect with people in any part of the world and discover the happenings of various regions. Founded by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook is the largest social media platform. It owns both Twitter and Instagram.
As of March 31st, 2019, Facebook had 2.38 billion users globally. 58.3 million were between the ages of 25 to 34. 46 million were below 25 years. Facebook is more popular among the middle-aged and the older generation, for instance, in the United States, 84% of the people who are on Facebook are between the ages of 30 to 49.
Facebook is mostly used to connect with friends through chatting and commenting on pictures. It reminds people of important information such as a friend’s birthday. It is also used as a marketing tool. Brands use Facebook to expose their products and services through advertising. Apart from that, Facebook is also used for entertainment. It is used to share videos just like YouTube. It is also used to share news updates.
Twitter has 126 million people. It is mostly used for marketing businesses, connecting people and real-time conversations. People engage on twitter by tweeting about events that are happening live, for instance, the second election of Barrack Obama event was ranked among the events that received most tweets. Twitter is also used for marketing by posting adverts. Students are embracing Twitter as a studying tool. They use it to connect with their mentors and teachers and to learn new information.
Instagram is mostly used to post photos and videos. It was launched in 2010 and within five years, it had managed to secure 300 million users. Instagram is a social networking tool. People use images to connect with friends by showing them the places they have visited. According to Huen Chen assistant professor of advertising at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Instagram is mostly used by people between the ages of 18 to 23. Instagram is also used as a marketing tool, brands use it to send images of their products. Celebrity embracement by brands is common on Instagram.
The purpose and demographics of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram differ. While Facebook is mostly used for networking and posting adverts, Twitter engages people in real conversations and Instagram is majorly used for sharing photos and videos.
References
Blair, Risa, and Tina M. Serafini. “Integration of education: Using social media networks to engage students.” Systemics. Cybernetics, and Informatics 6.12 (2014).
McClain, Craig R. “Practices and promises of Facebook for science outreach: Becoming a “Nerd of Trust”.” PLoS biology 15.6 (2017): e2002020.

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