Part 1: My Experience Using Twitter
Twitter has emerged to be one of the most used platforms for communication in the modern age. As one of the most popular social media platforms, Twitter is used for many other important activities. The platform is effective when communicating directly with a specific person and when communicating with a larger audience. I have been using the Twitter platform for more than three years now and in this paper I will detail how I use it, its benefits, the challenges of using it and the reasons I believe it is a better platform than most other online social media platforms. It should be understood that the details held in this sections are informed as per my own experiences of using twitter although some publicly available information is incorporated to enhance the effectiveness of this paper.
As I found out in my early days, Twitter can be difficult to understand the way it works in the early stages. First, one needs to understand the basic features that make the platform unique and effective in meeting the objectives it is meant to serve. One of the most important that one need to understand are the tweets. Tweets are statements that must not be more than one 140 characters and they are used to express one’s idea on a specific topic. Then, one should understand the Hashtag, usually starting with the symbol #, which is a topic that is open for public discussion. The Twitter platform has a link for direct messaging in which one can send direct personal messages to their Twitter followers. Besides, Twitter also has a notification link that shows and notifies a specific user of any changes on a topic they may be following.
The benefit of Twitter over other social media platforms is the fact that information of public importance reaches a very large audience simultaneously. It is possible for a person to participate in a discussion on a specific topic and their views reach a large audience. Various topics keep trending and for one to participate in the discussion they just click on the trending topics and post their views on that topic. Twitter has significantly enhanced the role of social media in as much as access to information is concerned. In fact, Twitter has been lauded as being a far much better media tool than the traditional tools of media used for mass reach. Apparently, the effectiveness of Twitter in reaching a wide range of audience makes it a more used social media tool than all the other social media platforms. In this context, Twitter has been used to enhance the attainability of the goals of public campaigns on various issues given the space it gives for all people to participate and comment on a level platform.
Although Twitter is quite a better social media platform, it still faces some of the challenges that all social media platforms face. Given the large audience reach, any security breaches on an individual’s Twitter account can be of serious consequences. Some cases of Twitter account hacking have led to serious cases especially when the involved party is a popular figure among the public. I am always very careful on the way I use my Twitter account. I keep my log in credentials to myself to reduce the risk of being hacked and my account getting used inappropriately. I am also keen on ensuring that my use of the Twitter platforms respects the rights of other users and I abide by the terms and conditions of use of the platform. One of the best things about Twitter, at least from understanding after using it for quite a long time, is that you can reach out to anybody and they can respond back directly, which makes it a great platform to exchange ideas and views without hitches and restrictions that define other social media platforms.
Part 2: The Benefits and Usage of Internet Networks
Networking and telecommunication have improved significantly in recent years. The internet has emerged to be one of the most effective ways for people to communicate. Today, the internet has led to instant messaging, an attribute that has significantly enhanced the way people communicate across the world (Esin and Hesiloglu 7). Unlike in the past when relaying a simple message from one point to the next was a complex undertaking that could take a lot of time, today it is possible to communicate with a person anywhere in the world instantly. In this section, the current paper will focus on the advancements that communication over the internet has undergone and the challenges that people face as they use the internet for communication.
The advent of the World Wide Web made it possible for the reinvention of electronic and digital communication. A complex combination of networks, the World Wide Web allows people to communicate easily, effectively and instantly (Esin and Hesiloglu 9). Through the various developments that the World Wide Web has undergone, it is now possible to send and receive emails capable of holding large volumes of files. Currently, it is also possible to communicate via teleconferences, which enable people in different locations in the world to interact via video conferencing. Modern communication via the internet has been so effective that the sharing of information from one location to the other is now cheap and convenient than it was in past years.
Internet communication has kept on growing, and entrepreneurs and technological experts have been able to develop other platforms that have reinvented communication on the internet. Apparently, social media platforms have emerged to enable more people experience the benefits of the internet. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and the many more that have emerged in the modern age are all the benefits of the developments that have been realized on the many networks of the internet. Many people are now able to use the many social media networks to express their opinions on social issues. Besides, social media has been able in enhancing the effectiveness with which the internet has enabled cheap and instant internet communication. For instance, the people who are on Facebook can be able to communicate in a very fast and effective manner while also keeping some of their treasured memories given the large volumes of virtual storage space that the platform provides.
The use of the internet for communication has been associated with some negatives despite its growing popularity. The prevalence of hacking has been on the rise with many people joining social media networks and other internet platforms. Hacking, which is the unauthorized access to information and using it for illegal and unethical practices, has been on the rise due to some reasons. For instance, hacking has been on the rise due to the complex technologies that the internet has helped people develop (Ghita, Carley, and Kathleen 18). Besides, the prevalence of being hacked has been on the rise due to the irresponsible usage of internet platforms. People are not aware of the security measures that should be put in place to protect internet-based platforms that could be holding sensitive information.
Besides hacking, the use internet platforms, specifically the social media networks, have been seen as avenues that have promoted the negative ills in the modern society. For instance, child abuse, bullying and other serious crimes have been perpetuated on social media sites given the regulatory hitches that define such platforms. Apparently, governmental agencies have not been able to regulate fully the internet based platforms to ensure that they abide by the laws that control the real space in which people live (Ghita et al. 20). Such a limitation has often been a cause for outcry that have seen increased calls for limiting the age of the people that can access internet based platforms. Since children have been the worst hit victims of the irresponsible use of internet based communication platforms, child protection agencies have been persistent in calls to ensure that the developers of such platforms put measures in place to ensure that the security of children is guaranteed.
The success, convenience and effectiveness of internet communication can never be underestimated. Clearly, internet communication is the focus on the way future communication is to be conducted. Research and innovation should embark on way to develop futuristic communication based on the effectiveness of current internet based platforms (Esin and Hesiloglu 12). Apparently, the future of internet communication can only improve, an aspect that points out to the expansion of its applications on bettering human endeavors both in the economic and social life spectrums. Given the fact that internet communication has changed human life the way it has been identified to currently, the future of it can even be better if its current successes can be improved. Therefore, the current paper urges more research and study to enhance the levels of innovation and creativity that has always defined the use of internet based communication.
In conclusion, the internet has been influential in all the major breakthroughs that the modern world has enjoyed. Holding vast resources to enhance research and usability reviews, the internet has enabled people to gauge the quality of the products that they use on various aspects of life on a daily basis. Although enhancing the convenience of communicating and informing, the internet demands that its use is done in a responsible manner. Similarly, the demand for governmental and professional agencies to regulate the use of internet platforms has never been higher than it is today. Finally, it is clear that the internet has several benefits but it must be used in a way that motivates positive development in the world.
Works Cited
Barutcu, Esin, and Selcuk Burak Hasiloglu. "The Usage of Internet as a Tool for Informal and Viral Communication in Organizations." J Internet Appl Manage Journal of Internet Applications and Management 1.2 (2010): 5-16. Web.
Mezzour, Ghita, L. Richard Carley, and Kathleen M. Carley. "Longitudinal Analysis of a Large Corpus of Cyber Threat Descriptions." Journal of Computer Virology and Hacking Techniques J Comput Virol Hack Tech 12.1 (2014): 11-22. Web.
