Twitter analysis shows that we're positive first thing in the morning

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Millions of people wake up happy but become more negative as the day goes on, according to a study of people's Twitter posts.

The researchers analyzed English-language tweets from 2.4 million people in 84 countries, 'reading' more than half a billion tweets.

They used a computer program that searched for words indicating positive mood - happy, enthusiastic, brilliant - or negative mood - sad, anxious - and graphed these words against the clock, using the location of Tweets to work out when people were awake.

Positive: Twitter users were found to be more positive first thing in the morning, according to analysis of five million tweets worldwide

The most 'positive' times tend to be the start and end of the day.

Moods were lowest in the mid-morning and rose throughout the day, peaking just before midnight.The results applied to anyone, anywhere - except night owls, whose moods fluctuate on a different cycle.

The study also 'proved' the existence of the so-called 'winter blues'.

Over a two-year period from February 2008 to January 2010, people in America, Europe, Africa and Asia demonstrated two notable peaks of positive attitude.

Tweeters were - perhaps unsurprisingly - also more cheerful at weekends, according to the findings published in the journal Science.

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Oddly, mood tends to 'slump' in the middle of the day - even at weekends. Researcher Scott Golder, a graduate student said the pattern is probably due to the effects of sleep, and in particular our 'Circadian rhythms' - the internal '24 hour clock' that tells us when to sleep.

The results highlight the 'refreshing' power of sleep but also show how work stress can dampen the spirits, say the researchers led by sociology professor Michael Macy, from Cornell University in New York.

They wrote: 'PA (positive attitude) had two peaks; relatively early in the morning and again near midnight.

'Although the shape of the rhythm was consistent across days, PA levels were generally higher on Saturday and Sunday than at any time during the weekdays, which points to possible effects of work-related stress, less sleep, and earlier wake time.

'PA decreased mid-morning (at the start of the work day) and increased in the evening (at the end of the work day).'

The scientists used text-analysis software to gauge 'positive' traits in tweets such as enthusiasm, delight, motivation, and alertness, and 'negative' ones such as distress, fear, anger, guilt and disgust.

Although patterns were similar the world over, they reflected differences in work schedules.

For instance, positive tweets and late-morning mood peaks were more prominent on Fridays and Saturdays in the United Arab Emirates, where the traditional working week runs f! rom Sund ay to Thursday.

Looking at seasonal trends also revealed the 'winter blues' manifesting itself in tweet messages.

No correlation was found between absolute levels of daylight and mood.

But people became less positive with approaching winter as days shortened, and more positive as they lengthened in the spring.