We are sharing links to thought-provoking articles, we are making each other laugh, we are keeping each other up to speed on current events…we are communicating with each other on a platform that encourages good manners, that rewards us when we’re interesting and lightly smacks our hand when we’re not. For the first time in history, the human race is having a global conversation, and despite all our differences, we actually seem to be getting on quite well.
Public Twitter fights notwithstanding, this is the beauty of Twitter. I see Twitter beating the broadcast news by hours and the newspapers by days. I see people of all ages talking in a public manner and without much needing for policing – it’s the first time I’ve seen this kind of conversation without it seeming seedy and ‘chatroom-like’. Some people don’t get it and liken it to a chatroom but that just shows they’ve never engaged with it.
It’s not about reading how your favourite singer is “making a cup of tea” or how your favourite cycling athlete is “going out for a ride”. It’s more about finding who within your network – both geographical and social is doing something exciting, who’s holding an event, who’s baking cupcakes, who’s wanting to talk tech, or beauty or creativity or whatever.