Why I will never believe that Twitter is a waste of time: because connections and community build great things
Thanks to Lee Aase for sharing this video.
When I meet people, I often hear the following confession: "I don't do Twitter." And it's just like that--a confession, as if I would somehow either stand up and walk out in a huff at their lack of social media enlightenment or spend the next hour convincing them of Twitter's innate benefits.
I don't do either, as it turns out. It's not like I'm an early investor in Twitter and stand to gain millions if we can just get one more user. I don't get a toaster every time I convert someone to the glories of 140-character updates.
I usually shrug and say, "OK. It's not for everyone." What follows is usually almost always a revelatory therapy session as to why the person fears Twitter, social media, wasting time or oversharing. I suspect that more often than not, even though all I do is sit and listen, conversion follows speedily.
Below is a story of one of the beautiful benefits of participating in social media in general and in Twitter in particular. Did the daughter join Twitter with the goal of getting her mom a kidney from a stranger? No. She joined to share updates with friends, family and concerned citizens. But the power of social media lies in the ability to tell truly human stories and make truly human connections.
While events of this magnitude don't happen for everyone, I'm convinced that they can. Connections and community bring about amazing things. So go ahead. I dare you to tell this mother and daughter that Twitter is a waste of time.
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