What Is Twitter?

Twitter is a unique network, started in 2006, that combines blogging, instant messaging, and social networking all in 140 characters. Twitter users send tweets, using their computers or cell phones, of 140 characters letting other users know what he or she is up to. These short updates have become known as mini- or micro-blogging. Users use their tweets to do everything from let friends know where the fun is for the evening to asking for charitable contribution.

For instance, there is a new trend in bigger cities that centers on food trucks. The owners of the trucks will tweet where they are currently located, and people wanting to meet up and eat will go find them. When the earthquake hit Haiti, many charities, such as UNICEF, used Twitter to ask people to contribute to the cleanup effort.

The current technologies like email, instant messenger, or Skype, allow one-to-one or one-to-few communication. Twitter not only also allows the smaller communication through public replies or private direct messages, but tweets can reach thousands and millions of other Twitter users. If a Twitter user makes his or her tweets public, any other Twitter user can see them. When someone’s tweets interest someone, he or she can follow that person. Many celebrities have made use of this feature and some have millions of followers. Other Twitter users choose to make their tweets private, so only friends who the user allow to follow can see the tweets, making their version of Twitter more intimate.

Either way, users are creating custom-made online communities. Inside the Twitter community, users share links, photos, videos, music, online deals, and most importantly, real-time news about events like concerts to more dramatic information about natural disasters or other crises. Users also have conversations based around hot topics that are searchable using the hashtag, #, character at the beginning of a word or phrase.

Twitter also appeals to people who like the idea of blogging but do not necessarily have the time or the talent to complete lengthy posts. These users prefer to get their ideas out in short statements of 140 characters, and they can range from tweets about baby’s first step to who you are voting for on Dancing with the Stars to your views on the election. Most of the major news networks, CNN, Fox News, NPR, have Twitter accounts as well, and send comments and links about what stories they are currently reporting. Even different reporters, such as Andersen Cooper, send their own tweets. Even the Dali Lama has an account that is updated regularly by his staff with inspirational quotes or updates on his schedule.

Tweets can be done anywhere at any time because Twitter is accessible through applications on smartphones or just simple text features on any kind of cell phone. Not only can users send tweets to Twitter from their phones, they can also get tweets from the people they follow sent to them, making Twitter a great fit for modern, fast paced life.

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