I don't understand Twitter.
I've tried.
Multiple times.
I got bored.
Multiple times.
Now, I'm not some sort of Luddite who hates new tech things. I've signed onto half a dozen music sites, at least. I'm on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, Imgur, and Reddit. Yet, I still don't understand Twitter.
It seems to me that Twitter is made for those who want to be on the bully pulpit or those that wish they were a part of an inner circle. Like Facebook, Twitter is a one to many platform. But unlike Facebook, Twitter can feel like a shot in the dark. Interactions feel like they are threads on a spindle in larger tangle of fabric that mostly go unseen. 140 characters or less careening past you on the opposite side of the highway.
It's a place for people to network for their careers. Whether it's a relatively small profession of big fish in a little pond, or whether it's a celebrity with many fans, Twitter isn't a very social social network. It feels more like a pyramid scheme for those who manage to get an audience. Share my stuff and I'll do better, feel happier. And maybe, just maybe, I'll share some of the glory with you if you've said something I think is witty or deem important enough.
Now it's possible there are exceptions.
The Egyptian uprise against former President Mubarak is a prime example of Twitter's potential in helping to motivate masses of people, in this case toward political protest in the streets. The Occupy movements are another possible example of Twitter potentially having a political affect on people. However, as I'm not sure those masses of people really represent the wider population, nor whether those masses would have protested anyhow and that Twitter was just one of the many ways in which the message could have gotten out.
Another rather unique characteristic of Twitter is that real-time news spreads fast from people on the scene of an event. Even news sources need time to get to news sites, but people located at an event at the time it occurs can immediately get on their phones and their tablets and send out tweets about what they see. As 24 hour news has showed time and time again, and as Jon Stewart has adeptly satirized, fast news isn't always accurate news. In fact, often it is the exact opposite. Fast news is news porn for news junkies. It makes the pimp (the medium spreading the news) some money, but doesn't help people find a quality relationship.
So who is Twitter's target audience then? From what I can tell it's those who a) want to network, b) want benefits those networking or marketing, and c) those who enjoy speaking to hoards of people/enjoy or crave being the center of attention. This, I believe, explains why Twitter is used by teenagers, politicians, celebrities, and girls who are searching for a social network that their exes aren't on.
Um...anyhow...I don't see how Twitter will last very long, or at least how it will grow to a wider audience. It's generally too big for many people to have fun interacting with celebrities or with people one doesn't already know--something I've heard was more likely in the early years of Twitter and made it feel more like a community. In fact, I don't think interacting is Twitter's strong point. From my admittedly limited experience of Twitter, slivers of connections can feel extremely superficial. If you weren't on Twitter ages ago, and if all your friends aren't already on Twitter and consistently using the platform, I'm unconvinced you're likely to enjoy it if you try it now.
That is, unless you want to try to get into the spotlight or you enjoy watching those who already are.
To each their own!
I've tried.
Multiple times.
I got bored.
Multiple times.
Now, I'm not some sort of Luddite who hates new tech things. I've signed onto half a dozen music sites, at least. I'm on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, Imgur, and Reddit. Yet, I still don't understand Twitter.
It seems to me that Twitter is made for those who want to be on the bully pulpit or those that wish they were a part of an inner circle. Like Facebook, Twitter is a one to many platform. But unlike Facebook, Twitter can feel like a shot in the dark. Interactions feel like they are threads on a spindle in larger tangle of fabric that mostly go unseen. 140 characters or less careening past you on the opposite side of the highway.
It's a place for people to network for their careers. Whether it's a relatively small profession of big fish in a little pond, or whether it's a celebrity with many fans, Twitter isn't a very social social network. It feels more like a pyramid scheme for those who manage to get an audience. Share my stuff and I'll do better, feel happier. And maybe, just maybe, I'll share some of the glory with you if you've said something I think is witty or deem important enough.
Now it's possible there are exceptions.
The Egyptian uprise against former President Mubarak is a prime example of Twitter's potential in helping to motivate masses of people, in this case toward political protest in the streets. The Occupy movements are another possible example of Twitter potentially having a political affect on people. However, as I'm not sure those masses of people really represent the wider population, nor whether those masses would have protested anyhow and that Twitter was just one of the many ways in which the message could have gotten out.
Another rather unique characteristic of Twitter is that real-time news spreads fast from people on the scene of an event. Even news sources need time to get to news sites, but people located at an event at the time it occurs can immediately get on their phones and their tablets and send out tweets about what they see. As 24 hour news has showed time and time again, and as Jon Stewart has adeptly satirized, fast news isn't always accurate news. In fact, often it is the exact opposite. Fast news is news porn for news junkies. It makes the pimp (the medium spreading the news) some money, but doesn't help people find a quality relationship.
So who is Twitter's target audience then? From what I can tell it's those who a) want to network, b) want benefits those networking or marketing, and c) those who enjoy speaking to hoards of people/enjoy or crave being the center of attention. This, I believe, explains why Twitter is used by teenagers, politicians, celebrities, and girls who are searching for a social network that their exes aren't on.
Um...anyhow...I don't see how Twitter will last very long, or at least how it will grow to a wider audience. It's generally too big for many people to have fun interacting with celebrities or with people one doesn't already know--something I've heard was more likely in the early years of Twitter and made it feel more like a community. In fact, I don't think interacting is Twitter's strong point. From my admittedly limited experience of Twitter, slivers of connections can feel extremely superficial. If you weren't on Twitter ages ago, and if all your friends aren't already on Twitter and consistently using the platform, I'm unconvinced you're likely to enjoy it if you try it now.
That is, unless you want to try to get into the spotlight or you enjoy watching those who already are.
To each their own!
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