The Anti-Tweet!

Twitter has developed into a worldwide social media phenomenon. I’m sure you have a good idea what twitter has to offer. I won’t waste time.

Twitter’s benefits definitely surpass its disadvantages. However, I would like to point out some negative aspects of Twitter. Please go to my partner, Julie Ibrahim’s blog to learn the advantages.

My biggest concern with Twitter is the “Noise” factor. Far too many people tell us what they ate, where they went last night, and quite frankly, the last time they visited the bathroom. Sometimes it is difficult to get through the junk.

I find it difficult to search and find the right people. I can never find friends unless I have the exact Twitter name. Also, when searching for celebrities, it is very difficult to differentiate between the legitimate pages vs. the fan pages. I wish there was an easier way to identify people.

Check out this video from a CNN debate between journalists.

If it weren’t for my social media course, I would have no idea half the features Twitter has to offer. For example, the hash symbol (#) in the search field. The “@RT” symbol that simply means a “re-tweet,” These symbols now help me search within Twitter. However, how does one find out about these features on his/her own?

On a more serious note, my friends and I are concerned with children on Twitter. I understand the min age is 13. How and who is controlling this? How are parents monitoring what their children are following? Here is an interesting article on the affects of Twitter on children.

Looking at Twitter from a PR perspective, one must be careful of how they project themselves. A celebrity could destroy their image with a few unnecessary tweets. Organizations could casually promote CSR initiatives, forgetting they could have to back it up. On a personal note, how do I differentiate my “fun” tweets against my professional tweets?

Let me know what you think. What other problems have you come across? Do you disagree with the above?