week 8: Can I really live without Twitter?

How Twitter will change our lives. Correct me if you disagree because I can say the only effect Twitter has had on my life was it being where I found out Ricky Martin finally confessed his sexuality. But this makes me think that maybe I am not using Twitter to its full potential because if it is meant to be changing my life then something is seriously mistaken. 


I guess I was kind of against Twitter from the start and it was exactly because of what Johnson stated. 'The one thing you can say for certain about Twitter is that it makes a terrible first impression. You hear about this new service that lets you send 140-character updates to your "followers," and you think, Why does the world need this, exactly?' (Johnson, 2009). I figured that this was a new social site that just took what was popular from Facebook which was the idea of status update. I didn't understand why you wouldn't just use Facebook considering all its other features.

Then I noticed you could follow celebrities to find out what they've been doing if you are really that interested. I find that Twitter gives you a bit of an ego boost when it notifies you that you have been re tweeted or when people start following you. In a way, it concretes your online presence making you feel your free speech and thoughts are of some value to somebody out there. 'In short, the most fascinating thing about Twitter is not what it's doing to us. It's what we're doing to it.' (Johnson, 2009) I find this comment by Johnson to be very true. It's becoming a space for citizen journalism and another media platform where people are getting information about serious issues. Twitter gives us exposure to more opinion and different angles that we wouldn't necessarily see in the newspaper or on tv. There is limited control of what other people say. It also gives people a chance to respond to comments. Politicians like Julia Gillard have a chance to respond to what people may have said about her. Also, subjects in the news have a chance to tell their side of the story. 


Again Twitter is another means for free advertisement. If somebody is talking up a great cereal they had for breakfast, that comment is probably going to trigger in your subconscious the next time you are tossing up between Sultana Bran and Just Right. 


Twitter will also make you a better writer. Due to the 140 character count, it forces you to have clear and concise writing. short messages and short paragraphs always make writing look more appealing to read. 


So do I think Twitter will change the way we live? No. As I said, I may not understand the functions of it as much but doesn't that just mean it is not having a great effect on my life? I believe Twitter definitely has great aspects but I can't see how this alone can be life changing.