Tweet Tweet!

I'm sure you know that sound when a group of birds chatter chat on a daily basis by using their high pitched chirps.  They vocalize in communication through ‘’tweeting’’ , which us humans do not quite understand.  In the social media world we call this Twitter. This is a phenomenal micro blogging and social networking site launched in 2006 to allow people to stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? (Kirchher, J , 2010-2011 p.4).

However these days , this micro blogging website is also used extensively  in the world of politics. Especially in the lead up to elections politicians and parties take great advantage of using this to mobilize supporters.  For e.g  The US presidential campaign for Barrack Obama  established Twitter along with other forms of social media to support his political campaign . Many analysts say that Obama’s victory was attributed to a large extent to using this online strategy. Obama used Twitter to let the web community know about his personal feelings upon his victory  in 2008 quoting ‘’This is History”. This example demonstrates how Twitter has become a legitimate communication tool in the political field.  (Technische Universität München, 2010, p.1)

In the world of poltics, Twitter has been used as a platform to receive deliberation. Voting preferences, election polls, candiate profiles, spreading poltical opinion and discussing opnions are many of the uses.  Adam Sharp, the senior manager of government, news and social innovation at Twitter, talks about how political campaigns are using the micro-blogging service to get quick reactions to their messages and directly engage their opponent. (Reuters TV, 2012)

He is talking about how candidates are using Twitter as an additional signal in measuring public reaction to process statements and specific events. E.g A United States channel called Fox News was airing a specific debate in North Carolina where users were given the opportunity to tweet to show their reactions. After the debates candidates  and staff were interested in looking at this data and understanding viewers reactions. Before this form of social media existed  candidates would have to wait for at least days to check this type of data. Twitter has shifted the way in which you hear news within 24hrs to now making it instant within a 140 word limit. Before all of this,  the process in which  viewers would find out what was happening would consist of :

1)       Something happening

2)       There would be time for the press to discuss it

3)       Reporters would write the story

4)       It would get edited and then printed

Now users have direct access to reading primary source information within the journalism context. There’s evaluation between parties, allowing politicians to also engage in dialogue. (Reuters TV, 2012)          

Now doesn’t that sound influential or what?

Personally not owning a Twitter account, reading more and more content about  why millions of people are using it worldwide is definitely an eye-opener.

Howard Rheingold one of the leading theories on cyberspace states that ‘’Twitter is not a community, it’s an ecology in which communities can emerge. That’s where the banal chit-chat comes in: idle talk about news, weather, and sports is a kind of social glue that can adhere the networks of trust…..community and social capital can grow’’ (Rheingold H, 2012).

He recalls to use Twitter for the following reasons:

• Search for information on topics of interest (twitter users use a #hashtag to enable them to look at specific topics and events e.g. political arguments, gossip, scientific info , poetry, news, scholarly references , etc
•  To meet people- connecting with people who share the same interests.
• To self promote, socialize and answering questions.

What I see for the future of Twitter is that its going to keep on evolving as a communication tool. People love using it as their lifeline and as their news service.  It means a lot to a lot of people and whatever the future brings upon it will be just as exciting as it is now.

Nina :) 

References

1.       Kirchher, J , 2010-2011, ‘ Twitter and Poltical Communication: Conceptualization and Empirical Findings’, Grin Verlag, Germany.

2.       Technische Universität München, 2010, ‘Predicting Elections with Twitter: What 140 Characters Reveal about Poltical Sentiment, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, viewed 7 Decemeber 2012.

3.       Reuters TV, 2012, ‘How Twitter is reshaping poltics, instantaneously- Tech Tonic’ , Viewed 7 December 2012, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDkHdYi6mRM>.

4.       Rheingold H, 2012, ‘Twitter Literacy’, SF Gate, viewed 7 December 2012, < <http://blog.sfgate.com/rheingold/2009/05/11/twitter-literacy-i-refuse-to-make-up-a-twittery-name-for-it/>