On Wednesday we heard from a recruiting director that Twitter is no longer the preferred social media outlet of today's high school and college athlete. Today the athletes themselves have confirmed it.
Our friends at Fieldhouse Media conducted a survey of 927 college athletes (80 percent of whom participate in Division I) on the lay of the land - as it stands this second - on social media for today's young person. What they said? Among the Big Four platforms - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat - the typical college athlete is least likely to possess a Twitter account and least likely use Twitter as his or her primary social medium.
Social Platform Presence
94% are on Facebook
89% are on Snapchat
81% are on Instagram
73% are on Twitter
Most Used Social Media Platform
33% said Instagram
29% said Facebook
21% said Snapchat
13% said Twitter
Arizona's Matt Dudek told us yesterday Twitter is still the preferred outlet for recruiters, and we agree. Facebook has been taken over by the aunt you see twice a year, Snapchat is still viewed as the Wild West of social media, and Instagram requires a photo to be sent in any private conversation. Twitter isn't perfect, but it's the simplest, cleanest outlet for disseminating information. Today's athletes, apparently, don't agree.
Some other fun stuff:
43% spend more than an hour a day on social media
3% have posted to social media during a game
22% have responded to hateful tweets from fans
20% have tweeted something inappropriate
45% say they've received no social media training
It's an interesting survey. Check it out.