Four Awesome Uses for Twitter

If you are a Twitter master, this article will be a tad, “Ho hum yawn yawn.” Therefore, just look at the pretty pictures from Alicante, Spain and go along your merry way.

If, however, you are like I was a few months ago and really don’t get what all the fuss is about, regarding that strange blue bird-ed site called “Tweetah” or “Twadder” or something, here is a concrete list of four specific ways that Twitter has enhanced my life in the past five months.

1.) People on Twitter can give you instant answers to un-Google-able questions!

Sure, it’s easy enough to be-bop certain queries into Google and find an informative article or twelve, but there are some questions for which only the warm and instant response of a real human typing that very moment can suffice.

One real-life example from this afternoon:

Me, on Twitter: “Any recs for great places to stay in Madrid on my last night of this 1st 9-month RTW trip?”

Almost immediately, I had four great suggestions, plus one recommendation for a place NOT to go to under any circumstances.

A second (astounding) example from earlier this week:

Me, on Twitter: “I am so confused by WordPress right now I want to cry. Help! Help!”

Shockingly Kind Stranger: “Hop onto G-chat and I’ll walk you through a bit. I’ve got some time free now.”

…and this good-hearted stranger proceeded to help me via online chat for the next several hours! Using Twitter in this way, you can also get instant real-person recommendations on nearby restaurants, traffic conditions, strange ailments, and more. Just ask, and some sweet soul will find the time to answer. Indeed, Twitter has many-times multiplied my adoration for humanity and my belief in the kindness of our world’s inhabitants.

2.) Twitter aids in meeting and making new friends. Honestly! Good people!

An example from last night:

Travel blogger Adam, on Twitter: “Hey! I see you’re in Valencia and so am I! Want to grab some tapas and talk about blogs?”

And we did, and it was rockin’. Twitter has also helped me meet fabulous friends of friends, whenever a Follower sees that I am in a certain location where they know someone.

3.) Twitter excels at getting the word out about something to both friends and strangers alike.

Facebook is the ticket for sharing news with people you know well, but Twitter has the advantage that your message is launched into the universe in such a way that anyone can see it. Therefore, Twitter is an ideal way for me to alert of the world of each new blog article I publish. Really any business, performer, or creator can take advantage of this.

4. Twitter is ideal for venting about immediate issues when you’re all alone and just need someone to listen.

All right, so this feature isn’t exactly life or death, but let’s face it: there are some times when you ache to make a sassy comment to someone about something ridiculous you’re seeing, and there’s just no one around. Tweet your observation, and you’ll get a flutter of gratifying feedback and affirmation.

Example from a few hours ago:

Me, on Twitter: “Something in my dorm smells foul. It’s either my sandals or one of my five roommates.”

Famous blogger: “It’s you.”

So there you have it: four ways that Twitter works to make life nicer. In the wise words of Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere: Social media is changing the way we do things forever, but the good thing is that people don’t change. We still love asking for and giving advice, forming friend connections, spreading news, and venting. We just are finding faster and more broad-reaching ways to go about it!