“Sacrifice” means different things to different people. And in observance of the religious season of Lent, which began Feb. 18 and runs through April 2, social media addictions such as Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) and Twitter Inc (NASDAQ:TWTR) are being “sacrificed.”
You read it correctly. Some social media addicts are willing to abstain from tweeting and “liking” posts for the duration of Lent.
Are FB and TWTR really that bad of habits that they fit the category of “giving up to better ourselves?”
According to a recent survey by California-based research firm Barna Group, 16% of Americans who plan to celebrate Lent said they will reduce their use of social media platforms.
But its tough to predict what financial impact (if any) this will have on either TWTR or FB. Neither FB or TWTR representatives immediately responded to comment for this story. But I suspect they have nothing to worry about. And investors of either company can sleep tight.
For now, this tells me two things, however.
First, the word “sacrifice” needs a clearer definition. And secondly, those who are abstaining from TWTR and FB for Lent don’t post anything of value on either social media site. And their followers are likely not missing anything anyway.
If it was The Weather Channel or the National Transportation and Safety Board making this Lent sacrifice, then it would be a big deal. But in this case, users who are making this “sacrifice” for Lent are admitting that perhaps what they post on TWTR and FB is not that important to those that rely on their daily Twitter and Facebook engagement.
And if TWTR and FB was as useful to those making the “sacrifice” as it is to, say, a writer like myself who relies on user engagement for the success of his articles, this 40-day Lent “sacrifice” can have a huge financial impact. And it’s not one that I would be willing to make.
There’s also the question of how many people will have enough discipline and conviction to actually follow through and stay off TWTR and FB through Lent?
Each new year, resolutions are made to exercise, stop smoking, stop gambling, save more and eat better — only for people to revert back to their habits within a few weeks. And the idea of abstaining from either FB and TWTR for Lent suggests that both companies have become big and sticky.
Consider that, like other well-known vices that have existed since man walked the earth, FB and TWTR are certain to be money-makers for a long time.
And investors should not only be thankful at the attention their FB and TWTR stock is getting, they should double down on their investments — because Lent has just affirmed that they’ve bought into winners.
As of this writing, Richard Saintvilus held no position in any of the aforementioned securities.
