For class on Tuesday I read the article Brave New World of Digital Intimacy by Clive Thompson. The article dealt with privacy issues on the internet and the effects that being digitally close (which is much different than being close in real life) to a wide realm of people is having on human communication. Features like newsfeed and status updates on Facebook make it easy to keep track of as many friends or acquaintances you choose. Some people love this. They enjoy being able to have a glimpse into the lives of others at the tip of their fingers. Others feel that such features are an invasion of privacy and lead to stalker-like tendencies.
Another new phenomenon that some people swear by and others find to be “stalkerish” is Twitter. Twitter is a site in which people constantly update their status (up to 140 characters) and publish these short blasts to anyone who chooses to follow them. It can be as simple as, “I am making a sandwich.”
I have yet to understand the whole Twitter craze. What exactly do people see in it? I signed up for Twitter but have not used it yet because I don’t particularly get it. One woman who was highlighted in the article, Laura Fitton a social-media Consultant said that updating her status led her to be calmer and happier because it forced her to look at the events she posted about in an objective way, and she began to see them more clearly. Any Twitter addicts with some thoughts on the matter?
