As a recent member to the Twitter community, I could not agree more with Johnson’s opening statement in “How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live”. When I first heard of the website a few years ago, I thought it was strictly for celebrities who had fans that were actually interested in what people like Ashton Kutcher were doing throughout the day. About a year ago when I first heard of my friends making their own Twitters, I was amazed that the site had exploded so much that it had made its way down to the lowly college student.
I admit that Twitter has its addicting qualities: humorous “trends”, the ability to get the most up-to-date sports information, and an easy way to communicate with peers. But in my short time with the network I feel that its shortcomings counteract those positives. Limiting the users’ “tweets” to 140 characters just seems too broad and impersonal. As a new user the site seems much harder to navigate than other social media sites like Facebook and doesn’t appeal to as wide of an audience. While Johnson’s conference experience seems constructive, I fail to see how the event justifies as explanation as how “Twitter Will Change the Way We Live”.
As Johnson pointed out, Twitter is what you make of it. I can see some entertainment value that keeps its users, especially those with constant internet access, coming back. As for me, I haven’t quite found the same affection for the site as the others.