Young People Don’t Tweet, Young Professionals Do

Posted by Charlotte Barker, on August 19, 2009

Lately, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding young people and why they don’t tweet. This video by Beth Kanter nails it. Watching this made me realize, young people don’t tweet, young professionals do. That’s why I was so excited when I heard a few weeks ago that @LenKendall was working on a project to create a list of the top under 30 tweeters. The list was released today; Top 30 Under 30 Tweeters: Volume 1. The first of many to come, this list recognizes up and coming under 30 tweeters and is meant to be a resource for young people on Twitter to aspire to. Not only are there some amazing people featured, but there are also over 100 nominees that are equally incredible that should not be overlooked. As Len describes it:

‘To recap the 30 under 30 Tweeters Project, we set out to find the best tweeters born after 1979 so that there would be a resource out there that people in this category could learn from and aspire to.’

The point of #30u30t and of Len’s recent panel submission for SXSW, Underrepresented at South by Southwest (check it out and help get this panel through), is to bring a voice to young people in the industry who 'get it' and to shed light on the obstacles young professionals are faced with as they try to make leeway in the digital world.

I also came across a new discussion #u30pro starting next week where people of any age can discuss how young professionals can contribute and grow in the workplace hosted by @CubanaLAF and @DavidSpinks (two people who are also listed as #30u30t).

These things are not only great resources for young and old alike, but are stepping stones in the initiative for young people to gain ground and respect in the online world.

(On a side note, I'd like to thank Len Kendall and all the judges for featuring me as one of the Top 30 Under 30 Tweeters. It's an honor and a nice surprise to be among such forward thinking young professionals)