What doesn't kill us..

What doesn’t kill us...

???????For my class I am currently taking, I was asked to write an article on Twitter and their doubling character count from 140-280 characters. To be honest, my heart was just not in it at first, partly because I am not currently a Twitter participant, but I found that once I got started with this article, I did indeed have something to say about this topic. With changes such as Twitter increasing their character count, I wonder to myself is this a good thing. As I am getting older, I am both realizing the benefits and uses of technological evolution, but also have a huge nostalgia for simpler times like riding bikes with friends until the streetlight came on or exploring out in the woods and playing in the creek. Because so much emphasis is being put on communication in the social media platforms, we are losing the basic skill of in-person conversations, interactions, and experiences. However, as a lover of art and all things art related, I absolutely understand the need for expression and having an outlet. I do however feel that Twitter has become overflowed with toxic expression and so many people concerned about the next viral hashtag or tweet instead of nourishing and developing their interpersonal relationships. Would it kill us to become more involved with one another, not just a like on a photo, retweet, or tag in a post? Would it kill us to get outside and just enjoy each other’s company more often? With that being said....I love a good pros/cons list, so here goes…

Advantages of Twitter count increase:

-getting a full paragraph of thought put into a tweet

-artists can have more flexibility in their tweets

Disadvantages of Twitter count increase:

-if an argument erupts on Twitter, a person could bully, harass someone with more harmful words

-less physical time spent with loved ones and more focus on platform