Twitter

While mainly geared for socializing, Twitter has many applications. It can be used for educational purposes, as with as the project we just completed or through posts of informational videos like those found on TED Talks. It can be used by organizations and celebrities to spread news and reach fans. Twitter, like other forms of social media, gives the impression of having a personal relationship with those you follow, even if you have never met.

Twitter is also a way to make news known. I recently read an article about the fact that China, which is extremely strict about Internet policies and what the west is allowed to know about the country, once tried to hide that they had an earthquake. It took months before they admitted to the news. They have had another earthquake since then, but this time their citizens immediately started spreading the news by posting it on Twitter. In fact, people knew about the earthquake through Twitter before it was even broadcast on the news.

Because so many people are on Twitter and networks can be so broad, it can be a useful tool for journalists, politicians, and organizations. Journalists can spread news much faster than they can through other media sources and they have the ability to post links to articles or videos that people typically would not have searched for.

Politicians are able to use Twitter for their campaigns as well. People want to hear what candidates think and know about what they do in their communities. By posting tweets and links, candidates can show what kinds of policies they stand for and gain supporters. The fact that it creates that feeling of having a personal relationship works in their favor when it comes to votes.

The organizations I chose to follow for the purpose of the project included NPR, BBC World News, Howstuffworks.com, TED Talks and HDSA.

I chose to follow NPR News and This is NPR because I occasionally listen to them on the radio. The station always has unique specials on topics that I am interested in and even if I’m not interested at the beginning, I am by the end. The have a unique way of balancing the news with intriguing stories. The news broadcasts are typically well done. They cover more than just the most popular stories and they are not only nationwide stories. Some are worldwide as well.

Another organization I chose to follow was BBC World News. One thing many American news organizations seem to miss is news from the rest of the world. With the exception of NPR, unless there is a huge story, we rarely seem to hear about other countries. I feel it is important to keep up with world events, especially because I travel so much. Because the BBC tends to be good about remaining unbiased in their coverage of these stories, I rely on them for much of my international news.

I love to learn and try to get as much knowledge about as many things as I can. My searches consistently lead me to Howstuffworks.com, so I chose to follow the site on Twitter. From learning how a car runs to how Chinese New Year works, I can typically get a nice overview about the information I am seeking and there is an opportunity to find out more information through other articles. On Twitter I have found that new articles and those that are the most popular at the moment are tweeted.

I followed TED Talks for many of the same reasons I followed HowStuffWorks.com. I have a thirst for knowledge and the videos on TED Talks are interesting, unique and often inspiring. They cover topics from how to use the newest technologies, such as Aurasma, to inspirational speeches, such as the last lecture, to suggestions on how to improve menial tasks, such as tying your shoes. Some videos go into great detail, like the Aurasma video, which demonstrated how to attach an aura to a photograph or object so that when someone holds his or her smartphone up to it, a video appears on the phone. If one has a particular interest in a certain topic, TED probably has a video for it. The Twitter page posts some of the most popular videos and the trending videos.

Another organization I chose to follow was HDSA, or the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. Huntington’s disease is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder, which affected my dad, as well as my grandma, my uncle and my cousin. I decided to follow HDSA to get news on any research, fundraisers, and any other important details about the organization and the disease. While all of the members of my family who had the disease are now deceased, it is still a cause that is close to my heart and I want to do what I can to create awareness and raise money for the organization.

Twitter greatly differs from blogging because the number of characters is limited. While blogging, I find myself rewording things to make them flow better and to make them easier to read, but on Twitter I find myself rewording things to make them fit. Many times there were things that I wanted to say because I felt they were important, but couldn’t because there just wasn’t enough space. While this helps to prevent unnecessarily long-winded tweets, it can also limit the amount of communication the site allows.

Twitter tends to be different from other forms of social media, such as Facebook, because it is less personal. With Facebook, you have friends instead of followers and while you are able to post things on their walls that everyone can see, people are not as likely to read them as they are to read a Tweet. Facebook also has more privacy settings. While it is certainly not private, it is possible to choose who is able to see the content that is posted, an option that is not available on Twitter. Anyone can be your follower and respond to your Tweets.

This was my first experience with Twitter and I intend to use it more in the future. I find that commenting on the tweets of others can be a challenge, but I am able to learn a lot about people and organizations by reading them.