Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Someone’s Twitter

Jun. 22, 2011

By Ryan O'Connell info

Ryan O’Connell is a 25 year-old writer based in the East Village, New York.

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Oh, so this is a funny guy. His tweets are all jokes. I respect that. Whoa, he has 70,000 followers? Jesus. Stand-up comedians are like golden gods on Twitter. After spending their whole life getting shit on, they finally get to be one of the popular kids. Wow, his tweets are pretty hysterical. I’ll follow him.

Who is "mRsSunLuvr" and why is she following me? She has 35 followers and she's following 482. Jeez, desperado! She tweets to Lady Gaga, talks about the weather and tweets her horoscope. I'll C U in virtual hell, misssy!

I'm sitting at home reading the live-tweets of an acquaintance's night out. They were eating sushi but now they're headed to a bar named Black & White with three of their friends. Now, they're trying to meet up with their other friend to go to some diner. Gee, it's like I'm right there with them instead of in bed wearing a nightgown. Why does it feel so thrilling?

Oh, this is person is so good at Twiter. I feel like we'd be really good friends IRL, you know? His tweets are just so me. Get out of my head and come hang out with me!


How does Kim Zolciak's daughter have 15,000 followers on Twitter? The internet is so weird.

This person is a tweeting minimalist. She deletes most of her tweets because it disrupts the flow of her Twitter. She's clearly treating it like a weird art project, a collection of her best thoughts. She gets rid of most of her @ tweets probably because it creates clutter and chaos. Everything that stays on there is intended to be a part of a larger narrative. So pomo.

This person likes to tweet on Ambien. Therefore, I'm going to follow them.

OMG, why won't my ex follow me back on Twitter? I gave you my heart, body, and so much drama, and this is how you repay me? I'm serious, follow me back!!!!

Why did "NastyGurl' Follow Friday me when she doesn't actually follow me? Sigh, the mysteries of Twitter.

This person is old. Game over.

Everyone tries to be the best version of themselves on Twitter. It's sort of like a virtual cool kid cafeteria. Which lunch table will you get invited to sit at? It's so cliquey and you have the opportunity to get rejected daily, whether it be by an ignored @ tweet or when someone chooses not to follow you back. But you know what? It's better than Facebook. Because at least you don't have to see photo albums of fat people from your high school getting married. And you get to choose who ends up in your feed. You are not allowed to deny a Facebook friend request. It's practically illegal. However, you can easily not follow someone back. That's totally socially acceptable. People want to keep the ratios uneven and you can't hold it against them! Sure, you'll be hurt, but you must keep it to yourself. If someone doesn't accept your Facebook friend request, then they're an asshole who deserves to get called out. With Twitter, the stakes are higher and you can't say shit. Twitter is essentially Facebook but with a smaller and smarter brain. TC mark

You should follow Thought Catalog on Twitter here.

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  • http://twitter.com/gmdlt Georgianna Lagoria

    “This person is old. Game over.”  So true.  Over 40 on Twitter and you put a damper on the party, like a narc or an unwanted chaperone.  Unless, of course, you are a comic.

  • Jordan

    We get it Ryan, The Internet.

  • Guest

    RT the mental image of Ryan in a nightgown.

  • PUBLICPERV

    fuck this was good.
    like an episode of peep show.

  • Lara

    you’ve ignored my @’s #embarrassing. oh well, i still love your articles.

  • http://fastfoodies.org Briana

    or pierce hawthorne

  • kristinjames

    i reject people on facebook all the time. i guess i’m an asshole

  • http://www.facebook.com/earthtonichole EarthToNichole

    I just started following you on Twitter because of this, and I’m going to feel like shit when you don’t follow me back.

  • guest

    my mom’s twitter is sooooo boring

  • Mr Shankly

    I don’t have a twitter, so I can’t relate to any of this. I don’t even know why I’m here. I guess I was just hoping that Ryan would post nudes. Yeah? Yeah.

  • fellow asshole, I guess..

    seriously. Guy whom I have no mutual friends with graduated from my high school in 1995? ..DENY.

  • Anonymous

    ta.gg/4vh

  • padface

    “Oh, this is person is so good at Twiter.”

    Ryan, can you see the mistake in that sentence? I have seen many such mistakes in your writing of late. It may seem pedantic to some, but when I see that shit it doesn’t feel like I’m reading the article of a worthwhile author.

    The minute you let shit like that get in your work is the minute your work begins to lose its lustre, and unfortunately your current work already has not as much of a shine to it as it once did.

  • http://fartsinlove.tumblr.com Ernest Fartingway

    This is why tumblr is better, on there only you share the secret shame that you follow way more than follow you.

  • Anonymous

    You’re grounded.

  • Anonymous

    as being the minimal tweeter, I liked the article but don’t get offended when I come back and delete this comment. It just doesn’t fit in to the bigger picture, you know?

  • Also an asshole

    Vapid girls from high school and guys who only want to parade pretty friends? No thanks.

  • guest

    You just used the abrev “pomo” in an article. Not only is it obvious you went to liberal arts college, it’s also clear that I’m in love.

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