The incredible intangible value of Twitter
Hot on the heels of writing about how I’ve left Facebook, I want to share just how much Twitter has changed my life. The value of 140 characters is not perceived by many to add much to their life, but it’s changed my world.
I’m 22 right now and grew up for a brief moment in a world where the internet didn’t exist. A world where kids called each other on the phone to arrange play dates and parents called each other to gossip rather than texting. This same world struggled to deal with the wide array of networking possibilities that became available with the advent of the internet.
For most of my childhood – and doubtlessly for most of you who are reading this too – I was taught by both my parents and the media that there are strange people on the internet and that it’s a place to be feared rather than embraced. That we should be careful talking to people because they’re not who they say they are and that chatrooms are essentially a place for scum to prey on children.
Perhaps some of this may still hold to be true, but as the internet morphed into a much more social place, these beliefs slowly began melting away. Not entirely, but it’s slowly becoming more socially acceptable to meet people in the real world that you met online. Slowly.
Twitter has changed my view of this forever and has expanded my social circles beyond that I could imagine. Who could ever have thought that 140 characters could bring people from such different backgrounds, who are on completely different continents together? After all, how do we meet new people in real life? At bars, work and maybe through our other friends, but outside of that it’s extremely difficult to meet new people at all. The world is a cold place where people stick to their cliques closely.
From the outside for many Twitter looks like a place where people air their mindless drivel online about what they’ve just eaten or where they’ve just been visiting (this is somewhat true of many Twitter users) but if used properly – much like any tool – Twitter is a place for socializing and meeting people that would never have a chance to meet otherwise.
Through just sharing daily life, interesting links and thoughts, one can create a bond with new people in simply 140 characters. It takes time (as in real life) but as you use it to network more and more, your friend group can expand in the real world. It just takes that first step; offering to meet up with someone for a casual drink or going to a meetup.
Suddenly, like me, you’ll have friends in almost every country of the world. I’ve met people from the UK, Spain, Australia, many states of the US, Canada, Japan, China, South Africa, New Zealand and more simply through Twitter. I talk with people interested in computers, cars, design, construction, photography, health. I talk and interact with famous people and those who inspire me, where previously I would be only reading their writing and silently admiring them from far away. I’ve received opportunities for jobs, writing and many other things, just because I simply asked. I am incredibly lucky to have had such opportunity, for which I am very thankful.
It’s all about taking a step to actually meet and connect. Taking the time to have meaningful and helpful interactions. It’s a place we all spend time at and have in common which is immensely powerful. Some of my best friends I’ve met on Twitter and I’m immensely grateful that we’ve moved from being ‘internet’ friends to ‘real life’ friends more rapidly than ever possible previously. It’s incredibly hard to meet people in the real world and I believe Twitter is a real opportunity to move to an entirely different way of meeting people. Instead of striking up conversations at a bar, at least.
I see many articles online offering up ‘pro-tips’ for new users, but my advice for those who are new to Twitter is simple:
Follow some people that interest you (some around where you live and some from elsewhere) and engage with them when you can.
Share things that interest you. Be real, don’t try to be someone you aren’t just to get followers. It’s just a number. The value is in the interactions.
Be wary of promoting companies, begging for retweets or overwhelming people with too many tweets. Sometimes it’s good to take a break for a short while.
Step out. Suggest meeting up with someone (or a group of people) you enjoy talking to. Go to a social media meetup. It’s not as scary as you might think.
There’s no real “wrong” way to use Twitter, except if you’re only broadcasting and never talking to others. If anything, avoid negativity and don’t use Twitter as an alternative to researching things for yourself.
I’m often referred to as being ‘addicted’ to Twitter and spending too much time on there, but truth be told I can’t help it. The immense value and relationships that can be built is incredible and it’s hard to stay away. Twitter is criticized a lot in the media for being slow to innovate and restricting to developers but let’s not overlook how fantastic the platform is. The value of the people that are there is immense and the opportunity for discovery and learning is huge, much more than that of Facebook.
Despite what we might have been told by our parents, not everyone on the internet is dodgy or a threat. Yes, do keep your guard up and use judgement where necessary in engaging with people but for the most part it’s easy to evaluate those engagements over time. Even in 140 characters.
At first, your friends who you’ve met through traditional means will probably be surprised and worried that you’ve now made ‘internet’ friends (I’ve had many surprised looks when introducing someone as a person I’ve met online) but this may one day be the norm.
The value of Twitter is completely intangible to those on the outside, but for those that have embraced it and used it as passionately as I, have reaped the benefits for the years they’ve been onboard. It’s all about what you make of the experience and being very specific about who you choose to follow.
Facebook is a place where cliques go to socialize amongst themselves. Twitter is a place people go to meet and expand their horizons. If you’re not on there, I encourage you to join in the discussion and try it for yourself.
While you’re at it, why not introduce yourself? I’d love to talk.