The Netherlands is placed high in the international rankings for the use of social media. Twittering is especially popular among Dutch people, so much so that a special glossy called Twiet Magazine (Tweet Magazine) was launched on 16 November 2011. Of course, the number of Twitter accounts is also rising in other countries.

Internet strategist Jaap Stronks well understands why tweeting has become such a trend:
"Twitter is the easiest way to share information in public and thus be followed by anyone who finds you interesting."

While in the early days of Twitter only internet enthusiasts and bloggers had an account, now politicians, artists, athletes and everyone else besides are active with hashtags and followers.
 
By his own admission Hilmar Mulder, editor-in-chief of fashion magazine Grazia, has a Twitter addiction and he has decided this is the right moment to go into print about the phenomenon. Tweet Magazine is the result, a publication full of interviews with well-known tweeps, "the trendsetters in the Netherlands on Twitter".
 
#Poldermodel
The Netherlands enjoys a high position in the use of Twitter. In one year, the number of users has increased by 67 percent. The Netherlands has a very high amount of tweeting, more than in other countries. According to Mr Stronks that's partly due to the high speeds of broadband in the Netherlands and a highly educated society. But he says there's another important reason:
 
"Naturally we're familiar with the polder model. By that I don't mean on water, but the social phenomenon of that name. We discuss things with everyone. Groups get together to coordinate and communicate socially to reach agreements. You see that online also. We're a real talking country."
 
But it's not just talk, says Hilmar Mulder:

"Maybe it's a Dutch trait that people tend to use it as a medium for complaining. This morning everyone was talking about how cold it was. On the other hand there are a lot of people using Twitter while watching television. It's a way of sharing your opinion about the candidates for The Voice of Holland [a talent show, ed] not only with your roommate, but with half of the Netherlands, to name but one example."
 
#ArabSpring
Of course, the Netherlands is not the only country that babbles away in cyberspace. Countries such as Japan, Brazil and Indonesia are also placed high on the Twitter list. Mr Stronks noticed that the Arab Spring triggered a huge increase in the use of Twitter in North Africa:
 
"In Morocco and Egypt, we see that Facebook is relatively more dominant, because people there are used to communicating mainly in social situations. But Twitter has seen a big push during the Arab revolutions, because you can communicate via Twitter very easily, even with people abroad, and with journalists. Twitter is more open. The speed of Twitter, especially for news, and the speed at which the public debate begins, has increased the interest in Twitter. "
 
#TwitterIdentity
The rising popularity of Twitter has also resulted in the creation of new gadgets, says Mr Stronks:

"An important development is that Twitter is now integrated with iOS, the software used by iPads and iPhones. You can share a link via Twitter with one push of the button. Twitter is part of our lives, and you carry your Twitter identity at all times."

(as/imm)