The role of Twitter

January 4, 2010 |
Valor

Twitter-LogoThe New York Times recently featured a piece titled “Why Twitter Will Endure” which examines the role, value and future of Twitter, the social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets.  For some organizers, educators, researchers, advocates, and community partners involved in the gender violence movement, using web-based technology such as Twitter may seem more relevant and meaningful for younger generations or entirely irrelevant in the line of work we do.

Undeniably, Twitter has become another space where people can exchange information, which is critical in sustaining a social movement’s momentum.  An often cited example of online activism is the Obama campaign which drew a younger demographic into the political sphere (and voting polls) at a pace and with numbers not seen in previous presidential elections.  For an entire country, Twitter became a tool of informing the rest of the world about the events that unfolded during the summer of 2009 in Iran.

How can your campus program use Twitter, if they aren’t already?  If you’re interested in learning more about Twitter, check out these clever infographics that shed light on the world of tweeting.