why I tweet
I have been amused by the polarization of friends and their opinions about Twitter-and the people who tweet. "I don't want to hear when people are going to the bathroom", said one friend who is annoyed with people in his life who are addicted to this new form of communication. A year ago, before I started a Twitter account, a bunch of my DYD (District Youth Director) friends berated me for not being up to speed (kind of like it used to be when I had a Dell instead of the uniform "cool" Mac). So I jumped in, not because I knew what I was doing, but to get those bullies off my back (just kidding).
So, one year in and I'm a regular Twitterer (just one word in a whole new lexicon developing for words created in the virtual universe) and I've drank the kool-aid. Why do I Tweet now? For one, it beats the complexity of Facebook. I only have to look at ONE thing, people's status. No Farmville invitations or requests from realtors asking me to become a fan of their agency. And that one thing, has to be stated in 140 characters or less. If you can't figure out how to communicate what your thinking in a short space (unlike the rambling in this blog), then you don't deserve to gobble up everyone's screen space. I've also been able to read the thoughts of people that I respect in leadership roles, one example is our local school district superintendent who posts links to interesting research in public education that influences my kids (and every student in the district). You think that information doesn't have an impact on how youth workers operate in the communities that they intend to reach? There are limitless opportunities to stay current with the research in virtually every sector of leadership in society.
Why do I tweet (for now)? The most serious reason I tweet is that I truly care about others. When I read the people I follow I don't have to dwell on every jot and tittle of their lives BUT I do gain a perspective about what THEY are thinking and experiencing. I get to know THEM for more than just their title or their reputation. I have different categories of people that I've been able to follow such as family members, friends across the country, or even the sports anchors of ESPN. Of the people I know personally, the coolest experience has been the moment I see them for the first time in 6 months and I have a sense of what has been going on in their life. I'm truly interested and I can filter out the insignificant details when I really just appreciate the person.
Why do I put my thoughts on Twitter? I think ultimately, the currency of relationship in the Twitterverse is the williingess to say "I don't just care about you-I'll let you get to know me". In relationships I can't just expect people to drop their guard or share all of their ideas, I've got to give others the same opportunity, the same access to my life. I don't have to make everything personal, just not exclusive.
I'm not sure if I (or anyone else for that matter) will be using Twitter a year from today but I do know that its been a whole lot of fun! Cut me some slack if you don't want to know about all of my kid's basketball games this weekend and I'll promise to not withhold any nuggets of interest I come across along the way!
