Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Twitter, Really?


Seriously, what's up with twitter?

First off, I'm not a technophobe. I use a Blackberry Torch, laptop, email, Facebook, MP3 player, iTunes and other music sites. I have watched movies online, streamed internet content to my television, etc. So, I embrace all of our new "can't live without it" technology.

Twitter, on the other hand seems a little trifling and narcissistic to me! Is it really necessary to broadcast how you feel about restaurants, politics, sports, news, celebrities and just simple feelings or emotions to hundreds and even thousands of followers? Unfortunately, the story hungry media picks up these little tweets, like they came off the news wire, giving them more credence than necessary, and repeats them as fact. Meanwhile, in my opinion, many of us feel like saying "who cares?" Tweet that!!

To say that one has fifty, hundreds or even thousands of followers is like a badge of honour! But when you start tweeting the first thoughts that come to mind, that's when the fireworks really start. Recently a few sports figures, politicians and other personalities have tweeted their feelings on controversial subjects and suffered repercussions, even if they later retracted or clarified their tweets with further tweets or re-tweets!

Losing face, dropped endorsements and facing public scorn and ridicule is the cost of airing ones controversial thoughts. I mean, let's face it, we all have some controversial and even insanely crazy thoughts that cross our minds at times, like poisoning our neighbors cat or telling our manager to take a long walk of a very short pier, but we don't share them with the world!

As a social media tool, Twitter may prove somewhat useful, but in the hands of some otherwise intelligent people, Twitter is a tool to infamy.

Recently, a young woman in the US received a photo via twitter, of an underwear clad bulge, supposedly from a congressman named appropriately, Weiner! In all fairness to the congressman, he does state that his twitter account was hacked, but did not deny that the picture was his.

Really, was the account hacked or was the picture of the "Weiner" just sent to the wrong young woman?

Wake up people, just saying, or at least, please think before you tweet!