Everyday Consumer Activities & Real-time Information Systems

Over the past four years Twitter and similar real-time information communication systems have introduced new ways for individuals to broadcast and consume information. At first a means to share simple status updates, usage has evolved to include richer information seeking and sharing. This study uses quantitative methods to examine the role of Twitter in a specific everyday activity: consumer shopping. The goals of this study are to (1) describe the role of Twitter in everyday consumer activities, (2) explore how frameworks of consumer behavior differ for Twitter users and on-users, and (3) propose implications for consumer behavior on Twitter and similar information communication systems. These goals are especially important given Twitter's recent introduction of keyword search advertisements to the user experience. These findings have implications for consumer behavior on Twitter and similar real-time information systems, and the design and use of advertisements on these systems.