MIS 322 - Fall 2012




Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Twitter: A Help or a Hurt?


By: Brandon Lowe

Many of today’s youth and young adults use their cell phones for almost everything now a days. Cell phones are not just used for phone calls any more but also as calculators, devices to find out about news, a way to keep up with friends without and other many other tasks. One of the main things that cell phones allow us to do is view social sites such as Facebook, pinterest and one of the most popular sites, Twitter. Twitter allows you to communicate to your friends among other twitter users and keep up to date with current trends and news topics around the world. It has become a more personal and popular version of Facebook.

Twitter can be a great social site for users, but also a way to voice harmful opinions about others and different social topics. Sometimes users can get into heated online verbal altercations and you can find many tweets of slander. There have been recent cases of people taking a twitter arguments and tweets made by users too far which have led to physical altercations and sometimes shootings. Also, twitter users sometimes tweet their locations which leads to people finding their whereabouts which can lead to possible stalking or unwanted encounters. Sometimes a twitter user tweets certain things that leads self-incrimination such as pictures of banned or illegal items or just a tweet of them saying they are doing something illegal.

I personally like twitter and believe that if you practice proper online etiquette, you can use the website to it’s full potential. I can honestly admit I’m not a person who watches CNN on a daily basis or even the news at that, but the trends tab on twitter keeps me up to date of things that are happening around me. Twitter also is a great way for me to check on friends who do not attend my college institution and also a great way to promote events and social gatherings. I believe that twitter is more of a help than a hurt if users just practice smart and safe online etiquette and use twitter for the right reasons.

Here’s some links on the impact of twitter in certain situations.

Twitter helps Philly PD:

Twitter leads to suicide attempt:

Twitter leads to arrest:

16 comments:

  1. I agree with Brandon. Twitter can help you stay informed on certain things that is happening around us in todays society. I do believe that twitter can practice proper online etiquette and you can use this website to it’s full potential.

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  2. Twitter is pretty cool because it is fairly new. In the long run I think it will fade just like myspace. People are always looking for a new wave of communication and a new way to express themselves.

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  3. Twitter is a great concept because it takes away the need to have a whole profile created. All you need is a picture and a name and then you're tweeting. I think it is so popular because of the simplicity and it plays to people's short attention spans with the character limits.

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  4. Twitter, like any other website, can be used at the will of the users. WHether or not that user intends to use twitter or any other social networking site, He or she will be responsible for every tweet or post made by them. I understand how twitter can be harmful, but in my opinion that's not entirely accurate because it depends on the users. The users who decide to slander, put down, lie, or anything negative is not up to twitter to decipher. It is up to the critics who read and been afflicted by the post. Twitter actually is used in business strategy and organizational marketing. Twitter is used for party and gathering promotions. Twitter is most commonly used as solely a social aspect.

    I agree to the extent that Twitter is only bad due to the improper or flagrant behavior and etiquette some users display. Ultimately, the brand of Twitter is too large in order say if its good or bad, but I would say in parallel to your point: It is up to the responsibility of each user's tweets for the possible impact that tweet may cause on that user or anybody else.

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  5. I agree with you. People should practice proper social networking etiquette because once you post something on the internet anyone can see it. It is essential not to burn a possible network bridge. I do not like the fact that people feel the need to tweet their every step. I believe when you are a serious tweeter it takes you away from the now; what is going on around you.

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  6. Twitter is one of the most revolutionary social networks to be created. It has helped many cure their boredom, grow their business, find or build a career, meet new friends and so on. Throughout my time of twitter, however; there is one major problem I’ve found. Twitter opens the door for you to be whomever you want. This could be a great thing if your focus and motivation are in the right place. Countless people use twitter as a tool to create an identity that doesn’t match them and identity that makes them more “cool” in the eyes of those they’re trying to impress or an identity of who they’ve always wanted to be based on what they’ve witnessed. Twitter is great if you’re looking to take all the positive routes with it but it can also be used for negative purposes. At the end of the day, it’s simply your choice.

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  7. I agree with Brandon. Twitter has revolutionized social networks. It just gives everyone a fast and easy way to check on what is happening in the world, talk with friends, and promote yourself or a business. I think the main attraction is the simplicity of it. All you need is a username and password and you can tweet. Facebook is a little more complicated and that is why it is on the decline.

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  8. I think I share the sentiments of most you. Particularly, I feel anyone can take something good, for example a social networking site, and make it bad because of personal bad online etiquette. Nowadays, I am opening up more to social media, but a major deterrent up to this point would be all of the negative things, i.e. gossip, rumors, drama, lies, I would hear people in general talking about as it relates to social media. So, I would just shut down and say, "Well, that's not for me." However, now, I see the positive aspects/advantages of it and know that I do not have to use it in such negative/divisive manner.

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  9. Twitter definitely has it pros and cons. On the pro side, like already stated, it is a way to stay communicated with long distance associates, and staying in the loop to urban trends. However on the con side twitter also can get filled with ignorant, unenlightened, and mindless comments. You have to remember you representing yourself and your personal brand on social networks. Now days everyone is on twitter to stay competitive including companies and organizations. If your name is searched and the comments you make on your spare time are ridiculous the perception of you could changed or blinded by your social media involvement. Online etiquette is very important.

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  10. Social networking sites in general were created for the simple purpose to network and bring people across the globe closer. However, as time has progressed people's purpose for the use of social networking has changed. Some like the Philadelphia Police Department has positively utilized twitter to solve crimes and to inform the community. On the other hand, some users have used social networking sites to slander and bully individuals. Social networking sites, like Twitter, have a very crucial influence on today's society and users fail to understand that the things that are posted can impact many lives, positively or negatively. In my opinion, with self control and maturity, sites like twitter can be used strategically and positively.

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  11. yea twitter is definetly harmful to your personal image. One of my friends almost lost his scholarship because of what he said on twitter.Just because you think someones not watching doesnt mean there not, I recommend put the privacy up

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  12. I agree, social networks do cause a lot of harm but the fault is on the user. Tweeter and Facebook don't tell people to tweet incriminating or personal information about themselves. Users should also be more mindful of who they allow to follow them. These are social sites created so that people can communicate with their friends, but when you accept random people, your privacy and personal business will be compromised. And to those who post pictures of them doing illegal things deserve to be arrested. The posting of the picture is pretty much their confession. People who use these sites should be responsible enough to censor what they post or except the consequences whether good or bad.

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  13. Social networks can definitely be harmful is used the wrong way. friend of mine was in a similar situation as Kenneth's friend but in his case it was his job.

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  14. We, as users, have been tasked with answering this very question, a help or a hurt?, for social networking sites, across the board. Analyzing all of the positive and negative implications of such sites results in very little overall value in our assessment of the site, itself, given that these results are reflective of a user's behavior when operating such sites. The result of the usage of such sites, whether positive or negative, is, most often, a direct reflection of that particular user's internet etiquette. Therefore, it is my belief that the assessment of the site, itself, in determining whether "A help or a hurt?" should, instead, be applied to the individual user in questioning whether their behavior or etiquette in using the site would result in, "A help or a hurt?"

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  15. I think social media has helped and damaged our society. I've seen a lot crimes that have been caused because of social media outlets. However, I've seen social media websites open doors for small businesses and certain industries. I use Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Instagram to help brand and market my music publishing company. So, I think that it hurts out society when we use in these social media outlets in the wrong way.

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  16. I have mixed feelings about Twitter but it's been almost a year since I deactivated my account. I think that for the most part, Twitter as most people in our age group (17-24) use it is just a lot of people not talking about too much which is what led me to closing my account. I could no longer justify having a constant feed of what was going on in 300+ people's lives, especially considering there is no way you can have that many close friends. Rather than developing real relationships with people, Twitter gives an illusion that because you are up-to-date on someone's day-to-day activities, you know the person, when in actuality you don't. At the same time, if you're following news sources and people with actual clout - Twitter can be very informative.

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