Twitter is a Leading Social Media Platform
Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms which is also known as the SMS of the internet. You are allowed a maximum of 280 characters to express your views, comment, or write a news update. However, the number of words limit is now just double because previously, it was only 140 characters. That is why, it was not everybody’s cup of tea to make a tweet.
This incredible platform was founded by Jack Dorsey and others in 2006. At present, there are more than 350 million active users on Twitter. Because of the limitations of characters, it needed a high level of language proficiency for someone to express himself on Twitter. Anyone can see tweets that are present on the platform. However, if someone wants to send his own tweet, he or she will need to create an account on this platform.
Of late, there have been some changes on Twitter. Now, you can even send an audio tweet provided the number of words does not exceed 280.
How Was Twitter Used ?
Previously, Twitter was considered a platform for celebrities, and that made common people stay away from this medium. The general thinking was that Twitter is meant for important people who use it to communicate among themselves. Anyway, a popular social networking site like Facebook was already there that met all their demands.
Gradually, the VIP element associated with Twitter was diluted, and more and more common people started using it. People realized that it is an excellent medium for keeping updated on the latest news from anywhere in the world. So, when the 911 incident happened, the news of the terror attack in the twin towers first appeared on Twitter. Similarly, when Osama Bin Laden was killed by American forces in a surprise attack, people first came to know through Twitter only.
In fact, whether it’s an Olympic event, or the Oscar awards, or the Presidential election in the US, or the Lok Sabha elections in India, Twitter is the first platform to break these news. With passage of time, Twitter became the fastest and most reliable platform for news. For example, the news that first broke on Twitter, most television channels showed only after a couple of hours. And in the newspapers, it was published only the next day. A large number of people started looking for news and updates on Twitter, and closed their daily subscription of newspapers. The increasing popularity of Twitter adversely affected the circulation of newspapers.
Government all over World Use Twitter for Engagement
Governments also realized the phenomenal reach of this medium, and started using this channel more frequently to connect with people. Most ministries, departments, ministers, and important officials have their own Twitter handles. They use it to interact with common people, and to share important details with the general public.
One of the best uses of Twitter was seen during the coronavirus pandemic. So, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi suddenly imposed a lockdown on May 24 last year, it was announced on Twitter. All updates related to the control of the pandemic, pattern of its spread, total number of infected patients, and daily casualties were shared on Twitter.
When the second wave of pandemic hit in late April, people wanted information about availability of hospital beds, and essential
Celebrities Use it to Connect With Their Fans
One of the widest users of Twitter are celebrity film stars like Amitabh Bachhan, Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra from Bollywood, and sportspersons such as Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni, PV Sindhu, Neeraj Chopra. Film stars need to engage with their fans to tell them about their latest films, shooting, and other important details. Even celebrities know that they will have to keep feeding their fans with every detail.
Therefore, on Twitter you can see videos of Salman Khan pumping iron in the gym, Anil Kapoor dancing with Sonam Kapoor in the family wedding, and Ranveer Singh cycling at Bandra. Social media plays a very important role in maintaining the stardom of film stars, and Twitter has a major contribution in creating their larger than life image among millions of their fans.
It is not as if only Bollywood stars use Twitter to engage with their fans. Even Hollywood megastars like Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, Nicole Kidman, and Hugh Jackman use Twitter to engage with their fans. Recently, when Richard Branson went into space, he used Twitter to show the amazing photographs of his flight. Whenever some important update needs to be sent, Twitter is the first medium celebrities think about.
