I open the Twitter app on Friday like a beer then put the bottle away on Sunday.

“The weekend rockstars in the toilets practicing their lines” (Fake Tales of San Francisco, Artic Monkeys)

I enjoy weekend Twitter over weekdays. Like a chain smoker, from a seven-day habit to just two. My routine, install Twitter on Friday then sneak out quietly on Sunday, uninstalling the app from my phone. Missing out a whole five days but what am I really missing? My cynical side says, a stream of negativity, fake news and a section called what’s trending that surfaces the names of celebrities. My positive side tells me I miss great people, sharing their knowledge, articles of interest and unique insights. Then there is my emotional side, like when I stop Twitter for a few minutes after feeling angry about some tweet. I want to end it all and remove the app for ever. That is just too much drama especially when I would go back, cap in hand to start again. Going back, finger on my phone screen, pulling down to refresh a stream of tweets. It is like pulling a slot machine handle hoping I can win some great content. Twitter like the Artic Monkeys song may have started in San Francisco, but its spiritual home is Las Vegas were slot machine behaviour got studied to find ways to compel users stay on social media apps.

Since moving to a weekend Twitter habit, I am slightly more positive about Twitter. Like a potential weekend treat, I dive in with purpose, keenly engaging with other people’s tweets then tweeting out a few of my own.

The other advantage of weekend Twitter, it is a time for some at least, when they are doing what interests them most. Weekend Twitter gives me time to talk about films, the tech I am interested in and football (remember that).

The other thing weekend Twitter has going for it, is people reveal more about themselves. On weekdays, it is just their work persona. This is reflected in the type of stuff they put out on Twitter. I know this is a generalisation, but it is what I see. Observing Twitter is something I have done since 2008 the year I joined Twitter.

For me weekdays are work when your mind is not completely your own. I understand that for some Twitter is work and that is fine. If I use a social network, I want to have some enjoyment. As Miss Kondo asks, ‘does it spark joy?’ Your enjoyment of Twitter may in part depend on the time of the week you are on Twitter. What is your favourite time of the week to use Twitter?