http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/fashion/29twitter.html?ref=style
Twitter is the new phenomenon sweeping across the country. This social networking site allows people to "follow" each other and be alerted to where their friends are and what they are doing instantly- at any point throughout the day. However, it is not required for a Twitter subscriber to personally know the person they are following, as many people choose to be alerted to the daily ongoings in the lives of their favorite celebrities.
"The Celebrity Twitter Ecosystem" was published in the New York Times and the author, John Metcalfe, understands this newfound craze in society, and he allows his opinions on the matter to be heard loud and clear.
"Honestly, does anyone care that Martha Stewart has a blog supposedly written by her French bulldogs, Francesca and Sparky?"
This opening quotation to the article captures the fact that although Twitter is gaining popularity and becoming well-known throughout society, some of the things we are alerted through via this website are nonsensical and serve no purpose. His use of sarcasm in regards to the blogging on Martha Stewart's bulldogs shows how many Twitter followers want to be deeply immersed in the lives of celebrities. Many people will respond to Metcalfe's comment thinking, "Does Martha Stewart care about what my pets are doing? Why do I need to know this?"
The use of Twitter is an attempt to connect members throughout society using the vast technology that is available to us in modern times. I personally do not feel the need to know every minute detail about Snoop Dogg and his whereabouts, but hearing Ashton Kutcher and John Mayer discuss the possibility of opening 31 Club together is pretty interesting.
I think this website is all in efforts to connect people throughout the country. Many of us will never have the opportunity to meet our favorite celebrities in person, but if we follow them on Twitter we feel that we are a part of their lives in some way, even if they do not know who we are.
Although Twitter is interesting and exciting technology, it should not be used as a new method of stalking which, as the tone of the article suggests, Metcalfe believes this application could lead to. It is important for us to find the proper balance between daily human interaction and the perks and excitement that come along with submerging ourselves in celebrity culture a world away via the Twitter ecosystem.
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2 comments:
I think twitter is an interesting new phenomenon. One the one hand, it's sort of creepy and stalkerish to know what is going on in someone's life all the time. On the other, this is somehow very satisfying. I don't actually have a twitter (nor do most people in our age range), but I do check it from time to time, because many celebrities are using twitter's to connect with their fans.
Although the article suggests that Twitter is "stalkerish," it acutally kind of made me want to look at Twitter. I have never been on this site and John Metcalfe makes me want to visit it. Although the articles purpose was mainly to turn people away (as suggested in his lead), it had the opposite effect on me. I found his details about each celebrity very amusing, especially the chart accompanying the article.
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