Is Twitter for the Birds?

1. How has Twitter been used beyond socializing, and for marketing? Use the articles connected to the project to outline how Twitter was used in these instances.

Twitter has been used in many different ways. Twitter can be used to live report important events and bring attention to international social issues. For example the Arab Spring used social media to be louder than the voices of their oppressors. However in the boston massacre a lot of misinformation was spread and passed off as true. This is the good and bad of fast news. It could be a good way to combat misconceptions but also can create said misconceptions.

2. In what ways can Twitter be useful as a journalistic, political and / or organizational tool?

Twitter can be useful as a journalistic tool by giving live updates of an event. Instead of waiting for the nightly news cycle, Twitter allows journalists to interact with their viewers live as news happens. It makes it easier for viewers that would like more information on a specific event to access said information.

As a political tool, twitter is used to help connect elected officials with constituents on a more personal level. It allows them to view their local and national officials as more accessible. Most of the younger generations get their political news from social media. This could be a good thing because most people have access to it. It can also be problematic as many people are easily swayed and are not willing to do further research.

Twitter can be used as an organizational tool in many different ways. Twitter can help organize events like coat drivers,  protests or internet strikes. Twitter can also help actual organizations receive recognition and highlight the work that they do.

3. Name and elaborate on three events (in the past twelve months) where Twitter was used as a communicator of these events. Discuss the success or failure of the use of Twitter concerning these events.

The death of Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant, The murder of George Floyd, and #End SARS are three events that have impacted twitter heavily within the past year. The death of Kobe Bryant made twitter glitch the day it happened. The morning of January 26 twitter’s trending page reported a helicopter crash that morning. The only detail that was confirmed was the plane crash itself. Then TMZ tweeted that Kobe Bryant has died. They then deleted that tweet. At that point the twitter app basically crashed. Twitter user tweeted in disbelief at the deleted post. The trending page showed nothing and the search bars did not work. Later on, multiple reputable sources confirmed the death of Kobe and Gianna Bryant as well as 7 other people. In this situation Twitter was successful by giving out some form of information. The biggest failure of this event was the way the information rolled out. Multiple incorrect details came out before the truth. Also, The Bryant family had to learn of their relatives death via Twitter. When TMZ tweeted about his death the family was not notified yet.

The Murder of George Floyd and the events following unfolded on social media, mainly on Twitter. On May 25 police were called by an employee at a restaurant. The employee told police that George Floyd was “ passing fake bills”. After a long encounter with police, Floyd ended up on the ground with a knee to his neck begging for his life. Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck for approximately nine minutes. As soon as this video was uploaded to twitter, outrage ensued. On May 26 multiple people came together and planned protests for justice over twitter. These protests were well documented by the participants and sparked a new civil rights movement. Police conduct at these protests is what made it more prevalent. Thread on twitter started popping up with the title “Police Brutality at Police Brutality Protest”. This thread has over 200 videos of protesters being assaulted by police unprovocted . This was a success on Twitter's part. The videos being shown directly counteracted the media's narrative that the protestors were “ wild animals”.

The hashtag #ENDSARS is another event that unfolded on Twitter. It became a trending topic when many Nigerian artists stepped up and brought awareness to their american fan base. SARS stands for Special Anti- Robbery Squad. They are a unit of the nigerian police force. Alot of people rallied behind this hashtag on twitter due to it being similar in nature to the Black Live Matter Protest. Both are focusing on police brutality and the over policing of black and brown communities. Although the fight to #ENDSARS is far from over, Twitter's success in this event is bringing the  movement to international eyes via the platform.

4. What topics / subjects did you choose to follow on Twitter and why?

I followed BET, The NRA and Vogue magazine. I chose BET specifically because it was around the time of the HipHop Award. Music is a big part of my life and It was perfect timing to interact with the account. During their award shows they are the most active.I chose to follow the NRA because I do not interact with people associated with the NRA or their values very often. So it was a different topic for me to express my thoughts about. I chose to follow Vogue because although I do not keep up with the latest fashion trends, they have a lot of relatable articles. I also followed vogue because I decided to do a thread about fast fashion and I felt it was fitting.

5.  How has this experience using Twitter differentiated from blogging?  From any social media?

 

The main difference between blogging and Twitter is the character counts. On a blog there is no limit to how much you can say. On twitter you have to keep your tweets short and concise to convey your message. Also the way you interact with people is different from any other social networking site. On Facebook and Instagram the goal seems to be staying in contact with relevaties and friends. On Twitter you have more access to people you do not know personally.