Twitter, at the surface, feels like a repository of people’s random, of-the-moment thoughts and interests. However, a recent study shows additional layers of information regarding the emotional state of Tweeters. The emotional tones of our tweets may follow a rhythmic pattern – not only throughout the day – but also throughout the week and even the changing seasons.
The New York Times recently highlighted telling research that shows connections between Twitter and our moods. Sociologists at Cornell University compiled a report based on Twitter messages posted by more than two million people in 84 countries. The report finds that our collective moods over time are driven in part by an innate biological rhythm, unbiased of culture or environment.
It’s interesting to think that the aggregate of global microblogging can become a source of data that can even begin to point to innate biological drivers in humans. However, I am more curious around how the act of publishing our “moods” to an audience actually may align us closer with each other as we communicate in ways and with a frequency that was previously unavailable.
It seems that others share a similar concern around whether the “moods” are purely natural or if the mechanism is shaping them:
“Tweets may tell us more about what the tweeter thinks the follower wants to hear than about what the tweeter is actually feeling,” said Dan Gilbert, a Harvard psychologist. “In short, tweets are not a simple reflection of a person’s current affective state and should not be taken at face value.”
The report does prove interesting, but I am looking forward to the deeper conversation around how platforms such as Twitter are influencing behavior and culture and the strength of our biological tendencies.
What do you think? Is Twitter telling of your mood patterns?