CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Technology has become a large part of our everyday lives. Walking down the street, it is not uncommon to see people on their phones checking Facebook, Twitter and other social websites.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Technology has become a large part of our everyday lives. Walking down the street, it is not uncommon to see people on their phones checking Facebook, Twitter and other social websites.
Social media first hit big when teenagers and adults began using MySpace in 2003. When less people were using MySpace, more people began creating Facebook accounts.
A few years later, the general public became fascinated by another social website: Twitter. Once Twitter made its way into millions of homes, many people switched to it, sending out tweets instead of posting Facebook statuses.
Instagram, which lets users share pictures with each other, is very popular now, along with the blog-hosting platform Tumblr. The professional network LinkedIn also has made a cameo appearance in recent years.
So what social websites do teens use? A brief survey of 18 students at Hurricane High School provided a glimpse inside the heads of some teens who have active accounts on many of these websites.
Out of the 18, eight said they liked Twitter the most. It was the top vote-getter.
Sophomore Erin Pierce said, "I like Twitter the most because I can express my thoughts. I can also see what my favorite celebrities are doing, which is awesome."
After Twitter, Facebook and Instagram tied for second with three votes each. Tumblr got two votes.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Technology has become a large part of our everyday lives. Walking down the street, it is not uncommon to see people on their phones checking Facebook, Twitter and other social websites.
Social media first hit big when teenagers and adults began using MySpace in 2003. When less people were using MySpace, more people began creating Facebook accounts.
A few years later, the general public became fascinated by another social website: Twitter. Once Twitter made its way into millions of homes, many people switched to it, sending out tweets instead of posting Facebook statuses.
Instagram, which lets users share pictures with each other, is very popular now, along with the blog-hosting platform Tumblr. The professional network LinkedIn also has made a cameo appearance in recent years.
So what social websites do teens use? A brief survey of 18 students at Hurricane High School provided a glimpse inside the heads of some teens who have active accounts on many of these websites.
Out of the 18, eight said they liked Twitter the most. It was the top vote-getter.
Sophomore Erin Pierce said, "I like Twitter the most because I can express my thoughts. I can also see what my favorite celebrities are doing, which is awesome."
After Twitter, Facebook and Instagram tied for second with three votes each. Tumblr got two votes.
"My favorite is Instagram because it allows people to post pictures and show their life with little text, making the usual complaining and unnecessary messages go away," said senior Alec Neu.
"I like Facebook the most because of the yard sales," said junior Ashley Jarrell.
(Facebook yard sales are groups where people post pictures and information about things they are selling, and other people will comment or message them to buy the item.)
One person said she didn't really care for any of the social websites, and one person said he didn't use his anymore.
Different people have different ideas on which is their least favorite. Twitter, Facebook and MySpace all had five votes each. The main reason given for MySpace was because no one is on it anymore.
As for the others, junior Noah Gillispie said, "I dislike Facebook the most because the endless character limit allows people to rant, complain and start fights easier."
Jarrell and fellow junior Bryan Newberry both said of Twitter, "It is really boring."
The only other site receiving a vote was LinkedIn. One person said she didn't dislike any of them, and one person said he didn't care about social websites.
So, there it is. Maybe MySpace, Twitter and Facebook aren't all they're cracked up to be. Maybe tomorrow the world will be introduced to a new social website? Only time will tell.
Get Connected