Digital Media Artifact Analysis: Twitter

Social networking by means of the internet has become increasingly popular type of digital media in the past 10 years. I know first hand that it can be very interesting and can become very addicting. When Twitter was first released to the public in 2006 I wasn't sold on the idea, however. It seemed to me like Twitter was a "dumbed-down" Facebook. All it had was a list of "status updates". Because of my stubbornness I didn't give Twitter a fair chance until a few years later. Even then, after I had created an account I didn't use the service very often. I would maybe log in once or twice every couple of months if I had remembered to check it. I really didn't quite understand what the point was until I purchased my first smartphone in November 2011. I now use Twitter every day. I don't think my experience is unique. I believe that the invention of the smartphone and other mobile devices correlates to increased Twitter use, worldwide.

Twitter is an online social networking website that offers a unique “micro-blogging” service to its users. It offers entertainment, ideas, stories, opinions, news, etc. The literal definition of “twitter”, according to Google Dictionary, is: “A series of short, high-pitched calls or sounds.” Although not necessarily, "high-pitched", each message ("tweet") shared on Twitter is short and to-the-point. The service places a limit on each tweet, requiring that each be a maximum of 140 characters. The result is a medium that allows for an instant stream of thoughts. As Sullivan discusses, there is appeal in the idea of a medium that provides "instant and global self-publishing." In today's fast-paced world, people enjoy the ability to discuss ideas and share information instantly. Through Twitter, users are able to share their ideas as they come in a tweet or a series of tweets.

Who uses Twitter? Millions of people around the world. As it is easily accessible and user friendly, anyone with internet access can use Twitter. Although the site doesn't share its exact numbers, it is estimated that the site will reach 600 million registered accounts and 250 million active users before the end of 2012. This means that one has the opportunity to share ideas and information with millions of people around the world, instantly.

As I've stated, the invention of the smartphone and other mobile devices has made it even easier for Twitter users to share their ideas. It should be no surprise that with the rise in popularity of mobile devices in recent years comes a rise in registered Twitter accounts. More and more people are exploring the world through Twitter on their mobile devices. According to recent research, about 54% of Twitter users access the site using their mobile phones. This is significant because the nature of the posts made on Twitter are short and similar to an SMS message sent via mobile phone. It is often called, "the SMS of the internet" because of it's instantaneous abilities and short, to-the-point posts. Mobile devices and the Twitter platform are two types of media artifacts that complement each other very well. An instantaneous idea-posting application along with a portable, mobile device provides the user with the ability to share any idea, thought, picture, or video at any given time. A Twitter user today doesn't even need access to a desktop computer or laptop. For instance, I very rarely log into my Twitter account at home. The mobile smartphone has made extinct the notion of "waiting until we get home." For example, one is no longer required to wait until they return from the grocery store to share the brilliant idea that popped into their head while walking through the cereal aisle. The idea can be shared with millions in seconds with the touch of a few buttons. With this instant communication to millions of others in the palm of the hand comes the ability to tweet about all aspects of ones life. By "following" celebrities, for example, one is able to get a glimpse into what their daily life is like and the opinions they have. I have often thought of it as a simulation. In reference to Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation, Twitter can be viewed as means of simulating ones reality through text based media. One's Twitter page can be a likeness or simulacra of their life. For example, we can follow Oprah Winfrey. She regularly tweets updates on her life. As a viewer we get to look into her life using Twitter as means of simulation. With this we must also consider the opposite. Twitter gives the user the freedom to post whatever they'd like. As with many types of online digital communication platforms the user has the freedom to have themselves portrayed in any way imaginable. One could disguise or "dissimulate" their identity and create a completely different reality. For example, the Twitter account Mickey Mouse obviously belongs to a human. Some fan of Mickey Mouse is simulating the life of the character through Twitter. The account even communicates with other fictional characters' accounts like Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck. They are disguising their realities through simulations of fictional ones.

As Gitelman discusses in "Always Already New: Media, History and the Data of Culture," we must be aware that digital media isn't always accurate. She points to one study where a database misread the word "interest" as "internet." This resulted in inaccurate results of this particular study. The same critical mindset must be used with platforms such as Twitter. Because tweets can now be made anywhere one has phone service or internet access, news often breaks on Twitter before it appears anywhere else. Often reporters or analysts will tweet information before major the news media has the opportunity to write up and publish a full article. Because of the 140 character limit, these stories are often more like headlines. It can be a great way to monitor news stories but with this instantaneous flow of information comes the necessity to be critical. One can't always take a tweet for fact. Tweets are instant and anyone can post them so news or information may be stated prematurely or falsely. These tweets cannot always be trusted. 

As I've stated, because of complementing media types, I've come to use Twitter every day. I believe many others are accepting it as a useful digital media tool. With technology constantly evolving and improving, communication is becoming increasingly faster and easier. Mobile device technology is improving every day. It's difficult to imagine what will be popular means of communication in the future. It is interesting to compare these norms to the norms of the past. Similar to what Vannevar Bush explained in his article, "As We May Think", it is interesting to think of what the future holds for us in the field of media (and mobile) technology.

If you are interested in simulating my life, you can follow me on Twitter: @rthill.