Keeping up

How many teenagers use Twitter to update their status with friends? That's a question a lot of teachers and librarians would like have answered, but answers are hard to find. As this CNet update indicates, statistics even from the reputable Pew Research Center can be difficult to understand or downright misleading. What exactly is meant by "updating status"? Many young people seem to give almost minute-by-minute accounts of what they are doing on their Facebook pages. The updates are much like Twitter, but not quite the same. Every statistic has to be taken with a grain of salt, especially statistics that report what people say they do rather than documented reports of what they actually do. Librarians trying to understand their patrons or potential patrons still need to use simple observation, talking to individuals, and watching computer use to get an idea of current activities. Reports, scientific and otherwise are useful, but we still have to rely on common sense to stay aware of what's happening in our schools and libraries.