Over 12,000 tweets a second were sent in the Super Bowl's last three minutes, highlighting the growing trend of audience participation during broadcasts.
The Super Bowl broke the U.S. record for tweets, though it lags behind the 25, 000 tweets per minute from Japan after screening of the film "Castle in the Sky." Other notable events prompting upticks in tweets include the unveiling of Beyonce's baby bump at the MTV Video Music Awards, the FIFA women's world cup, the British royal wedding, and the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, spurring audiences out of a passive role and affording every user the opportunity to weigh in on broadcasts as they unfold.
Twitter's global podium for observations and commentary about shared cultural experiences serves as an instantaneous platform for audience participation. Its surge in popularity for discussing important events points to a change in the way people process and react to news, and news makers are shrewd to incorporate the trend into their broadcasts.
For example, Burberry live-tweeted photographs from Fashion Week, inviting responses and engaging fashion fans in a behind-the-scenes look at the design house.
While some football players are reluctant to embrace social media use during games -- Jets linebacker Brett Scott discouraged use of Twitter during the game -- the NFL and other leagues encourage the use of social media apps during games, to pique fan interest and generate free publicity for their events. Even as audiences watch from home or on mobile devices, social networks like Twitter help keep events a collective experience.
The public's embrace of Twitter is unlikely to subside, as teens flock to the microblogging service and the act of live-tweeting becomes more ingrained in mainstream media. President Barack Obama is the first U.S. president to tweet, but doubtfully will be the last.
The service itself is becoming an important barometer for TV executives and advertisers, helping them gauge in real-time what shows and events are popular and funnel resources accordingly.
Twitter users tweet to add their voice to whatever conversation is significant at the moment, and the surge in popularity for tweeting about broadcasts like the Super Bowl speaks to their growing importance. Though athletes like Scott resent the constant distraction social media sites offer, social media sites are keeping users engaged in broadcasts like the Super Bowl, and encourage dialogue about the events.
