Facebook or Twitter: Which One Wins?

August 3, 2012 in Friendship, People, Relationships, Society, Technology

While pretending to be an expert on swimming at the Olympics at 5.00am on Sunday morning and live tweeting it, I realised something. I’ve had a Facebook account for 5 years. This is a long time for me to commit to something. Maybe commit isn’t the right word, but I tend to get bored easily. Twitter, I’ve had for a much shorter period, about 18 months.

Which one wins?

I also realised that I barely use Facebook at all, and actually spend more time being honest about my life with my friends on Twitter whom I don’t know in real life, and deliberately not posting things on Facebook, so that people I actually know, don’t know much about me.

I pondered the reasons for this. Facebook, I have used to keep in touch with people I actually know. A result of that is everyone who ever meets you maybe, once, adds you on Facebook. I’m friends with my secretary, friends with people I went to school with, who I haven’t seen for 10 years, and friends with relatives I haven’t seen since I was a child.

Twitter, I have used to make new friends and be engaged by media, celebrities and people with common interests to mine. I, of course, don’t use my real name, so I am somewhat more free to be open, sharing and honest when I know that my secretary can’t see it and gossip about it with people at work.

Don’t get me wrong, I still check Facebook several times a day. I just prefer Twitter. I also think Twitter is more relevant, more engaging and you don’t have to share much personal information without looking like you are ultra cray cray about privacy. You know, those people on Facebook who share NO information about themselves, other than that they are a female or male and they have ONE picture on their profile? Of their dog, cat or baby? If you have that much information about yourself on Twitter, you’re practically an oversharer!

I also find on Twitter, you can simultaneously share so much of yourself while remaining virtually anonymous. It’s a great contradiction. For example, I don’t use my real name on Twitter. I’m more likely then, to tweet something like: “Someone at work has bad breath today” than update it on my Facebook, where people I know from work are going to see it. I’d also NEVER share many of the negatives in my life on Facebook, less people I know from school thinking that I lead anything other than an awesome life. I feel like I can share everything (to a certain extent!) on Twitter. I also absolutely HATE it when people I know in real life follow me on Twitter. Twitter is my special place where I escape from In Real Life People. My bestie’s former housemate follows me, and that’s annoying, but she doesn’t seem to go on there very much, so I let it slide. A girl I went to uni with found me on Instagram (we are not friends) so I immediately blocked her. I just don’t want them invading my Twitter space, it’s WHY I don’t use my real name!

If I had to choose, it would be Twitter. Hands down. No competition. Gold medal and Facebook comes a disappointing third (behind Instagram). Don’t even get me started on Linkedin (no thanks) or Google Plus (don’t know anything about this strange website).

How do you feel about Facebook and Twitter? Do you feel more comfortable on Twitter or Facebook? Do you share more of yourself on one or the other?

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Whippersnapper has written 37 posts.

16 Comments »

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http://Shop-Me-Chic.com Melinda

I am exactly the same! I don’t use my real name and I hate the thought of any of my Facebook ‘friends’ following me on there.

That said, I have started deleting Facebook friends because I shouldn’t have to feel like I can’t share whatever I want on there (like I never share my blog on my personal Facebook account because there are some people I just wouldn’t want reading!) but with the Facebook timeline being forced upon me, I am thinking of deleting my account.

I’ve been on Facebook for about 5 years too and I don’t want to be reminded (or others to see) every post I made as an immature teen!

I absolutely adore Twitter and the friends I have made on there.

Great post!
http://music.johnanthonyjames.com/ John James

I “tolerate” FB because I need FB access for work (and KK&T for that matter)…as a social media it bores me to tears…

I prefer Twitter – it’s much more social, much more interesting and entertaining, and much more immediate than FB…I also like the transitory nature of Twitter – your message is there for a few moments, and then gone…replaced by more recent Twitter posts…

BUT

I still don’t understand this preoccupation with “anonymity” on any social media…I always post using my real name on every social media I belong to…Social Media? Live It, Be It, Own It!
- Whippersnapper
  
  Get back to me about your position on using a handle or being anonymous when you’ve worked in the legal profession!
  - http://music.johnanthonyjames.com/ John James
    
    That will change – it must – all professions are going to have to adapt to the reality of social media…
    - Whippersnapper
      
      Disagree. I use social media personally, it has nothing to do with my work. I have no need to use it for work. If my firm needed social media, it would be done by someone in marketing or HR, ie not someone who is a professional staff member performing legal work.
      
      I don’t want anyone from work finding me on Twitter so I use a handle. Law really has no need to utilise social media, and I daresay they are going to be very far behind everyone else in adapting to the use of it, just like they were behind everyone else in adapting paid maternity leave. It is just the nature of the profession.
      - http://music.johnanthonyjames.com/ John James
        
        So it’s not a work thing that prevents you from using your real name on Twitter? It’s just you?
    - Whippersnapper
      
      No – they have no social media policy. I would just never be so stupid as to put my real name to my twitter, less people from work or clients find me!
      - http://music.johnanthonyjames.com/ John James
        
        I guess that’s what I don’t understand – what’s the issue with people finding you online? (Genuinely interested)
    - Whippersnapper
      
      Well, I don’t want conservative, stuffy lawyers, knowing things about my young, unstuffy self. Lawyers want you to be automatons and your personal views affect you professionally, more so than most other professions.
      
      Especially when you google yourself, which potential new employers will do, I don’t want them knowing that I wrote an article about wanting colonic irrigation, and, like I said in the article, I want the freedom to be able to express what I think, such as “so and so’s breathe really smells at work today” without anyone I actually know seeing it!
      - http://music.johnanthonyjames.com/ John James
        
        I just find that so sad in so many ways – I hate it when people can’t just be free to express themselves…you’d think lawyers would understand that…stupid conservative, stuffy lawyers!
Valentina B

I prefer facebook. Simply because I’m not on twitter enough to follow the flow of conversation on there. If i had the time (or connection) to be on twitter all the time I’d probably choose that.

Facebook was great when it first began but then there was that expectation that anyone you have ever met and know in your life will be your friend. I have my boyfriend’s mother and some of her friend’s and some of their family friend’s kids on there, so I do have to watch what I post based on it getting back to boyf’s family. Twitter I don’t need to edit what I put on there but then again I’ve always been much more of an observer rather than a contributor of both.
Naz Kovacs

I use facebook and twitter for different reasons. When I first opened my Facebook account 5 years ago I did the whole adding people you haven’t seen in years, random people you met once and adding everyone from high school even though I hadn’t seen or spoken to them since finishing high school and some not even during! Over time I went through a few major Facebook culls and now I only have family, some relatives from overseas and friends. I know everyone on my facebook, but there are still some on there that I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way to speak to in real life but only a few. These days I mainly use facebook to keep in touch with my family back home and see what they’re up to as well.

I don’t share everything on FB though, like I don’t share my personal blog on FB, I just don’t want everyone to know about it which is weird in a way because most of the people are the ones I’m closest too! But for some reason I just don’t want it on there!

Twitter on the other hand is a different matter, I do use my name and I have my blog link in my profile and do link to my blog on there as well. I also share much more on twitter, although I don’t think I tweet all that much but I do definitely say things on there I wouldn’t on FB, plus I like that I can follow certain people on there that are in line with my interests as well as following people like Mrs Whippersnapper here and others

I guess I feel more comfortable in sharing more details on twitter than on FB.
fender4eva

Like JJ, my Facebook time is about five minutes, per day. My Twitter time, even less. Frankly, I’m bored with both, and like you guys rarely vist Mamamia, any more. Kiki and Tea is the place to be, right ? Right ? Yes !
- http://music.johnanthonyjames.com/ John James
  
  Yes…as the young people of today like to say, “KiKi & Tea is where all the cool hep-cats are…”
http://tamsinhowse.com/blog Tamsin Howse

I love Twitter. FB is like that friend you used to think was cool but then you realised they’re actually really annoying. But I still check it multiple times a day.

I have my real name on both, my blog on both, and you can subscribe to my public updates on Facebook rather than becoming a friend. I find I get the most hits on my blog from facebook and a lot of people I went to school with who I don’t know very well will randomly tell me they love my blog.

My only difference really is I don’t put anything that’s heartfelt on facebook as I found people were more derogatory on there. I also don’t update it as much because people complain if you update facebook too much and I just can’t be bothered.

Think that’s why I love Twitter. No one complains you tweet too much – it just doesn’t happen.
fender4eva

Tamsin, I did three years on Twitter, and ran out of things to say. Here, I can respond to a post when I get around to it. On Twitter, it’s full on 24/7 and too full of banalities. I mean, who gives a rat’s ass, that someone had an egg and lettuce sando. I mean, really ?

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