What is the Difference Between Following and Followers?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The terms "following" and "followers" refer to different aspects of social media engagement. Here are the key differences between the two:
- Following: This term refers to the users you choose to follow on a platform like Instagram or Twitter. By following someone, you can see their posts and engage with their content. Users you follow are sometimes referred to as your "following."
- Followers: These are the users who follow your account. They can see your posts, engage with your content, view your Instagram stories, and send you direct messages. Your followers make up part of your community on a given platform.
In summary, "following" refers to the accounts you follow, while "followers" refer to the people who follow you. Your community on a platform like Instagram consists of your followers and the users you follow, excluding any repeated users.
Comparative Table: Following vs Followers
The difference between "following" and "followers" lies in the direction of the relationship between users in a social media or networking platform. Here's a comparison table to illustrate the difference:
| Following | Followers | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | The act of a user following another user, typically to see their updates or content. | The list of users who follow a specific user, i.e., the followers of that user. |
| Perspective | From the perspective of the user who is following someone else. | From the perspective of the user who is being followed by someone else. |
| Terminology | When a user is following another user, they are considered a "follower" of that user. | When a user is being followed by another user, they are considered a "followee" or "subject" of that user. (Note: The term "subject" is considered more appropriate and less controversial than "followee.") |
In a database design, the relationship between users and their followers is typically many-to-many, as one user can have multiple followers and one follower can follow multiple users. To represent this relationship, a join table called "userfollowers" or similar can be created, containing userid and follower_id foreign keys. This table would store the associations between users and their followers, allowing for easy retrieval of who is following whom.
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