AFP
Twitter is now catching on in Latin America faster than in any other region.
The Americas have seen a growth of 305% in users from June 2009 to June 2010, according to a study released by comScore, a market research firm that tracks the digital world. The firm says that of the 93 million active twitter users, 15 million reside in Latin America. Worldwide, twitter has seen a surge of 109% over the same time period, and Asia Pacific was the region seeing the second most growth, at 243%.
The rise of tweets below the Rio Grande has been aided by the decision of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to join the social media website this past April. Since the former paratrooper signed up for an account, “Twitter.com penetration in [Venezuela] spiked 4.8 percentage points in a few short months,” according to the comScore press release. The Venezuelan President has used twitter to spread his revolutionary gospel and interact directly with his countrymen. Just this past August 13, Chávez sent out a tweet to wish Fidel Castro a happy 84th birthday.
The list of well-known Latin Americans making use of twitter also includes the Colombian singer Juanes, sometimes referred to as the Bono of Latin America. The former Ekhymosis frontman announced via tweet on August 11 that his new single will be released on September 20. And according to the AP, the rocker has also used his twitter account to recruit new talent, saying in one tweet: “Hey Guys, I am looking for a director for my new music video, if anyone wants to send in your reel, it will be more than welcome!”
While Facebook has also caught on throughout Latin America, the region’s internet users have also taken to other social-media websites that are less well known in North America. One is called fotolog, on which users simultaneously blog and post photos.