Bearing Witness, A Tweet At A Time

Online, using social media, we can become each others' witnesses.

Take Eric Sheptock, a former crack addict and now homeless advocate who is the subject of a remarkable story in today's Washington Post, written by Nathan Rott. It's one of the most insightful and nuanced articles written about social media this year -- a must-read for anyone who questions the value of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

On Twitter, everyone is their own news channel, their own personally written and publicly shared newspaper. Which makes me wonder: do you follow people on Twitter whose lives -- whose fundamental set of realities -- are completely different than your own? Or have you created a digital echo chamber, following people who already share your interests and already think the way you do?

 

Comments

[RedDogBear]

12:06 PM on 12/16/2010

I'm with the other two commenters. I have a Twitter account because I'm involved in various kinds of online activism and like it or not Twitter is a main channel to reach people these days. But I don't follow anyone and I don't really see the point. It seems like a massive waste of time to me and also incredibly self involved to think people care about every fleeting thought that crosses your mind.

[mainstreethost]

11:38 PM on 12/13/2010

Thanks but No Thanks. mainstreethost

[curiousasheck]

09:18 AM on 12/13/2010

Follow? As if like that 1986 Apple Lemmings Commercial?

No thanks I'll pass on that dude.