I’m Torn: Twitter

[Life isn’t black and white. As much as we wish we simply loved or hated things, there is often that whole annoying gray area in the middle. Like, we hate getting up for early morning classes, but we love being done by 11. Or, we love how Spanx make us look, but hate how sweaty we get putting them on... Damn you, gray area; you make decision-making that much more complicated!

By Brithny

There are so many difficult choices in life (do we love or hate high heels??), so we thought we’d sort through ‘em right here. Every week we will discuss another issue we are torn up about. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!]

So, we now all know what Twitter is. I can guarantee that you either Twitter yourself, have a friend who Twitters, or know a celebrity that Twitters (and creepily internet-stalk them).

Since its launch in 2006, Twitter has gained roughly 5 million users, coming in 3rd in the social network sites, with 2nd going to MySpace and 1st place to Facebook. It’s actually kind of like the status updates on Facebook, without all the wall posts and bumper stickers (and those annoying pokes). But sometimes I do miss a good laugh at a not-so-attractive FB picture (*untagging now), and a friendly poke now and then isn’t so bad. So Twitter: I’m torn.

Love it:

I do quite like Twitter, because just like FB, it’s a great social networking site that allows you to keep in touch with friends. But more than that, it allows me to take a peak into the lives of some of my favorite celebs and, in a sense, live vicariously through them (which helps me when I’m studying in the library and wishing my life were as thrilling as Britney’s with an ‘e’).

Ever heard of the KISS principle? Well, Keep It Simple Silly is just what the founders of Twitter had in mind when they thought of the easy user interface and simple instructions for beginners to the blogging world (even my great aunt uses it – that should say something). Speaking of simplicity, I absolutely LOVE the 140-word limit; say goodbye to those annoying paragraph status-updaters who feel the need to give every intricate detail about what is going on in their lives and their pets’ lives. This space limitation has led to an interesting new  language of “Twitterverse,” which is totally better than the over-used “ROFL” (or, in my brother’s case, “ROFLEW”- rolling on floor laughing eating waffles). It definitely deserves its own dictionary.

And Twitter even has loads of fun applications you can add to make your Twittertime even better, like Twitpic, Twitterific, and Tweetie, and you can even hook your phone up to Twitter on-the-go. Now that’s what I call Twe-riffic.

Loathe it:

Those annoying people who have those long status updates on FB now have another place to annoy the world. Now half of your mini-feed consists of everything this particular ‘Thwumb” did every 5 seconds. Freaking Twitterati. Do we really need to know you’ve rediscovered your love for Backstreet Boys?

I also really don’t like the fact that we have no control over who “twadds”/follows us; it’s a bit creepy if you think about it. I mean, it’s cool and all that Obama twadded me, but my friend’s mom – not so much. And sometimes I miss all those unnecessary apps on FB, like Kick-ups and Scramble, not to mention the usefulness of FB for internet-stalking that cutie in your psychology class. A 140-worded insight can only get you so far. Sigh.

An unfortunate similarity to FB is that Twitter can get wayyy too addicting. As in not-doing-your-homework-and-just-surfing-through-random-tweets addicting. I myself am a self-diagnosed Tweetaholic, which is definitely not a good thing.

So, I love it and I hate it. And I just told that very fact to all of my followers.
What about you? Are you a Tweeter? (Yeah? Well, follow us on Twitter!)