The latest research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project notes a significant rise in adults 18-24 using Twitter (compared with their younger counterparts) as well as a sharp decline in blogging among young adults 18-29. The perception is that microblogging has replaced traditional blogs for many of the young adults. While this may well be the case, it is not a complete picture of the role of blogs and Twitter, and how young adults are using blogs and the Twittersphere to remain current, connected and in control.

When considering Twitter and blogging strategies for this audience, bring them to your content for something newsworthy or amusing that they would most likely want to share with others. Be willing to aggregate information from multiple sources or to direct visitors from your site to others, it may seem counterintuitive, but it ultimately enhances your value and credibility in their eyes.

Many of the college students with whom we spoke turned to Twitter to stay abreast of developments in their areas of interest, whether related to pop culture, mundane happenings, personal passions or world events. Tweets from content providers directed them to media sites, allowing students to treat “traditional” forms of media as blogs and maintain a sense of control over an onslaught of information.

As would be expected, there is a Twitter learning curve. It appears that during this cycle, the students would either adopt and embrace Twitter (also dependent on a network effect among friends) or reject it to remain tied to Facebook. In the past year, student perceptions of Twitter have changed dramatically. While it was initially regarded somewhat suspiciously, the students who use it most extensively consider Twitter an instant news updating service, alerting them to breaking news or articles of interest to their peers and influencers. They will in turn pass these nuggets along to their followers and friends.

Students repeatedly describe Twitter in terms of its currency – both in terms of real-time immediacy and the social currency value of connecting with others. They feel a sense control over content with Twitter as it alerts them, then allows them to select when, where and how much information they want to consume.

While many of our interviewees were active and budding Tweeters, none of them wrote blogs. However, blogs played a critical role in aggregating and interpreting news and pop culture. The students fiercely resist any labels which would confine or attempt to narrowly define their interests and perspective. They turn to aggregators and blogs to maintain this field of diversity. Blogs and Twitter referrals seemed to be more trusted than traditional outlets and appeared to be their primary source of news, commentary and the interpretation of news events whether or not they regularly read online news from leading news providers. No one we met wrote a blog themselves although they were voracious consumers of them.