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Did you get to the office this morning and fire up Facebook with your first cup of coffee? Your answer is more likely to be yes if you live in D.C. as opposed to El Paso, Tex.
A new study from Men’s Health gauged the most socially connected cities in the country. The magazine looked at how many people were signed up to Facebook and LinkedIn per capita and how many tweets were sent in each city. Then, in a shout-out to times past, Men’s Health tapped into Myspace, Friendster and chat room traffic. And after all the tweets were tallied and status updates were summed, Washington was declared the most-networked city.
(More on TIME.com: See Mark Zuckerberg, TIME’s 2010 Person of the Year)
Most Socially Networked Least Socially Networked
1. Washington, D.C. 100. El Paso, Tex.
2. Atlanta, Ga. 99. Laredo, Tex.
3. Denver, Colo. 98. Stockton, Calif.
4. Minneapolis, Minn. 97. Lubbock, Tex.
5. Seattle, Wash. 96. Bakersfield, Calif.
We can hear the angry tweets being typed out now. Where’s WiFi-friendly Seattle or tech-centric San Francisco? They’re just a few notches down. Stop typing, digital denizens of San Fran: you still garnered an ‘A’ grade. According to the magazine’s deputy editor Matt Marion, “It was close, not a clear runaway.”
It’s evident geography is a non-issue, with cities east and west showing off their Facebook and Twitter prowess. But Marion notes the government culture of the District helped propel it to the top of the social-network map. “It’s become a great tool for politics,” he tells NewsFeed. “It becomes the currency of the land because even though everyone is busy and running around, it keeps the connections strong.”
(More on TIME.com: See the crazy, booming world of Twitter)
While this philosophy could have roots in essentially any city, Men’s Health’s study shows D.C. residents – especially those in politics or non-profits – are reigning in all available online tools, with social networks providing an easy means to form and keep relationships and disseminate information.
So does that mean there’s a dearth of information sharing and lack of connection in El Paso and Laredo? Not necessarily, Marion says. “Maybe it’s just not as much a part of the culture” in those towns, he explains. “They’d rather speak face-to-face than text or tweet.”
After all, with the ease of online communication actually comes an air of disconnection. “When it becomes the default, that can be a hindrance,” Marion says. Maybe those at the bottom of the list have reason to cheer their failing grade – especially for the fact they’re not using Friendster to communicate.
See the full list at Men’s Health
(More on TIME.com: See the top 10 Twitter moments of 2010)