Popularity is a funny thing. Whether it be in school or on the web, it’s an interesting concept and one that’s fun to study.

Twitter is, in case you don’t already know, a “micro-blogging” site. Users can post short, 140-character (that’s the maximum) updates on what they’re doing, at that very moment. Other users can “follow” them, to receive updates of recent “tweets”. And twitter has grown in popularity immensely over the past few years, rising to number 12 on the top sites list (alexa.org/topsites), and this is due to a few key elements in what it does and the psyche of those who want it.

1. It’s quick

The 140 character limit strictly enforces length, which means that users can check people’s updates quickly and easily. It’s short and simple. It also means that they can post their own updates, without having to worry about taking time out of their day or having to plan what they’re going to write.

2. It’s easily accessible

Users can receive updates on their computer, on their phone, on their BlackBerry, and sooner or later, by carrier pigeon. Twitter is easy to access anywhere you are, and nowadays, it’s a very important factor.

3. It’s got a privacy factor to it

It may be surprising, but hearing about what someone is doing during their day, mundane or not, interests a lot of people. It’s surprisingly fun to read about others’ short thoughts on certain activities. It’s even more fun to read about them when they’re from a celebrity. Many celebrities have taken up Twitter, and it just helps fans get to known them better. It’s also good for the celebrities; it’s good publicity, and it’s even better than regular advertising since most of the time they can actually update themselves, rather than have someone else do it for them.

4. It’s entirely open

While it may creep some people out, it’s plays an important role in Twitter’s popularity. Anyone, whether or not they have an account, can read anyone’s updates. This is obviously handy for those who don’t want to bother with an account, but it’s even better when it comes to reading the populations as a whole. Using certain sites, one can track trends within Twitter users’ tweets and take a look at popular topics by the minute, day, or week.

5. It’s free

If you want to be popular online, you’ve gotta be free. YouTube, Facebook, MySpace… they’ve all done it. No one wants to pay for something that is, truth be told, a toy, something that really isn’t necessary.

Many of these apply to other sites as well, but I like to focus on Twitter because it really is one of it’s kind. There wasn’t one like it before, there isn’t one like it right now, and I doubt there will be one like it in the future. It’s an interesting site with lots of potential for social studies.

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