The Influence of Features and Demographics on the Perception of Twitter as a Serendipitous Environment

Abstract

Much research has sought to understand serendipity and how it may be hindered or facilitated in the context of digital environments such as information visualization systems, mobile apps, and social media. Twitter has been described in both the popular media and academic literature as an ideal space for serendipity to occur, though little research has sought to empirically confirm this relationship. The perception of Twitter as a space for serendipitous experiences is fueled by its dynamic qualities, trigger rich interface, and networked nature, which have the potential to prompt unexpected encounters with information and ideas. The present paper examined 184 individuals' use of Twitter features in relation to their perceptions of Twitter as serendipitous and tested for the influence of demographic differences. We found that age and use of Twitter features (checking timeline, tweeting, and searching) were strongly related to perceptions of Twitter as a serendipitous digital environment. Findings have implications for the design of digital environments that endeavor to facilitate serendipity.