How Twitter Can Change the World
We all want positive change, which is why the phrase “change the world” often alludes to wonderful things, but in reality, there are plenty of world-changing things that are not so great; the atomic bomb, global warming, AIDS, and now Twitter.
Like all things of tech, the micro blogging tool Twitter is just that, a tool. But as a potential bearer of updates, news and information, Twitter can prove to be an extremely powerful tool.
As shown with societies striving hard in order to bring awareness to the world of their plight, Twitter is a blessing enabling everyone to know about major tragedies, accidents, disasters and more. Relief efforts to help out victims of two major earthquakes were spread about and partially conducted through Twitter with surprising success.
At the same time, Twitter can be used as a tool for bringing misfortune –intentionally or unintentionally. This is mostly due to a simple misunderstanding; all it takes is for a few people to misinterpret a joke or opinion as a fact before they spread it to other people as truth.
This is the case for French President Sarkozy who has become the target to a rumor involving him and his wife. The shameful news reports have even leapt from the internet to tabloids –proof of how much trouble misinformation can cause.
This is not a sole case, many famous individuals have been reported dead, missing, in trouble and in other fictional states that has caused a degree of concern and worry –often with drastic results; the Egyptian stock market lost plenty of money when it was rumored that the president had died in a gall bladder operation. In truth, President Mubarak had a successful operation and the man is alive and kicking. The stock market loss however, was unrecoverable.
Get to know more about the various troubles that Twitter and misinformation can cause at Times Online UK.
Tags: Twitter
