Recent statistics compiled by graduate students in the Stanford Computer Science Department indicate that the number of Amish youth between the ages of 13 and 18 using social media platforms has increased exponentially in recent weeks.
The data reveals, in particular, that two Amish students in rural Pennsylvania created Facebook accounts in the month of October. This represents a tripling of the Amish representation on Facebook since similar data was compiled last year.
Researchers cannot determine the exact cause of this demographic explosion, though an unproductive growing season due to unseasonably cold temperatures is a viable suggestion.
Amish parents are certainly worried about the growing craze, as one mother was reported as saying, “This fad is spreading through our country faster than a horse-drawn carriage. Before we know it, somebody within a 5-mile radius of us may be updating their status from the hayfield.”
Researchers were unable to collect more information from interviews with the Amish due to their lack of insight on the subject. In particular, when asked about the influence of “tweeting” on the population, most Amish responded with vague answers related to local bird populations.
