Let’s be honest: I’m a Twitter addict. A Tweet-a-holic, if you will. Both self-proclaimed and accused fanatic of this micro-blogging social medium, I could rave about Twitter for hours. We all know I spent hours using it each day. There’s something about Twitter that hints it will be around for a while, and that it has yet to reach its full potential for popularity and functionality.
Social networking picture-sharing sites like MySpace and Facebook surge in popularity and then eventually die out. Maybe Facebook isn’t going anywhere just yet, but in 2006 who would’ve thought that MySpace would ever become un-hip? I sure didn’t know. I was too busy reorganizing my Top 8 to contemplate the imminent downfall of MySpace. Even after attempts to recreate their image within the past few years, the website’s fate is plain for all to see. And Twitter isn’t going anywhere. Not yet, anyway.
I’ve struggled for ages trying to convince friends and family to use Twitter. Only in recent months have they started to hear me out. Twitter’s presence in the World Wide Web is becoming as widespread at Facebook’s–if you look hard enough, you can find a “Tweet this!” button on most websites nowadays.
In my initial tweeting days, I complained about my life and reported what I was eating for breakfast–the common misconception of Twitter’s purpose. After years of learning the ropes, I discovered that Twitter isn’t just for random babble but for so much more.
The capabilities of this social platform are limitless. I find myself learning about breaking news from Twitter faster and sooner than I could have from traditional media like the TV or a newspaper. Sometimes a tweet from a local coffee shop with pop up in my news feed about an exclusive offer that non-Tweeters wouldn’t know about. As of late, I’m attempting to use Twitter for networking purposes beyond my university and into the local community.
Just like most things in life, you get out of Twitter what you put into it. Now go forth and seize that Starbucks discount, make a connection to your future employer, and read those ground-breaking news articles before any of your friends do.
Nicole Scilingo 