The Ten Behavioral and Emotional Stages of Twitter

Posted by Laura Bergells

July 24, 2008

In one week, I will celebrate my one-year Twitterversary. I began what I called my “Twitter Challenge” about a year ago.

With close to 1,500 Tweets and almost 200 followers (well, until Twitter ate most of them yesterday, anyway!) I reckon that I’ve gone through different behavior and emotional stages of Twittering over the past year.

Please note: I’m not a psychologist. I don’t even play one on TV. I’m writing this post from personal experience, only. Never mind my Bachelor’s degrees in sociology and telecommunications (which oddly enough, might be a terrif set of degrees for becoming a social media media consultant, what with the “social” and “communications” components in each study area).

What you’re about to read is here pure, extended Twitter Drivel. (It might even be Digg or Stumble worthy. Hint, hint.)

The Ten Behavioral and Emotional Stages of Twitter

This is stupid. Don’t get it. Talking to an empty room about what you had for lunch. What’s the point?
Connecting with a few friends. Writing witty observations called twitticisms. Feeling simultaneously like a new age Oscar Wilde and a Twittering, jabbering idiot.
Connecting with the friends of friends. Comfortably expanding your social network with quasi-familiars.
Tentatively entering conversations with people you’ve eavesdropped upon who seem interesting.
Following the people with whom you’ve entered into engaging dialogue.
Blushing with pleasure when these amazing people follow you back.
Buoyed with confidence at your new found popularity and a spirit of bonhomie, you Twitter more enthusiastically, using a plethora of Twitter apps to enhance your experience.
You ask questions. You share responses and other Twitticisms from your coolest friends at your blog.
You become the unofficial ambassador to Twitter novices you like; eagerly offering online followship (yeah, I said followship).
You learn of new ideas, gain wisdom, build relationships and friendships. You realize you’re leading a surprisingly richer life from wielding such a stupidly simple tool.

How fast do novice Twitterers progress through these stages? For a fossil like me, it took about a year. However, I’ve seen others smash through these stages, in no particular order, in a matter of minutes.

Further, there’s no guarantee that there is any steady progress through these stages. Some folks die at Stage I or II, and never move on. And once you hit Stage 10, you may simultaneously drift into Stage 3– or even 1 or 2 — and go back to 7. All within the twitch of a keystroke.

Right now, I’m at stage #1. Again.

This is not backsliding. It’s interactive.

And it’s all so Twitter, in all its goofy, stupid, profound glory.

It’s changing my life. How has it changed yours?

(I’ll leave my Twitter outcomes for another post…Until then, please let me know how this list resonates with your own Twitter experience: did I forget a few stages? What’s missing? )

PS — And if you want to follow me at Twitter, I would feel so honored! Please do…