Is Twitter A Step Back?

As social media becomes more and more accepted as "just plain media," there are more and more tools and platforms to utilize this new social mediascape. In July 2006, Twitter launched to lukewarm fanfare, and gradually increased in popularity. As Twitter becomes the half-brother of Facebook – often mentioned as an aside – we start to study it for societal influence and opinion formulation. I love Twitter, I use it every day, every hour even, but isn't Twitter a step backward?

What is Twitter about? It's kind of like having a conversation on a train. It's about sending information out into the public timeline and sharing that information with whomever wants to listen. You can talk to me, but random people can chose to listen in or shut you out, listening and creating their own conversation.

In comparison...

What is Facebook about? Facebook is like being invited to a private party. It's about connecting a real person who has added interests, information, photos, purchasing decisions and using this as a digital representation of their personality. Its like a suburban backyard bbq, next to a shopping mall. I don't even see the next party over unless I'm out looking for it, networking style.

Click to read more...