Microblogging is broadcast in nature and similar to text messaging; it lets users share brief bursts of information to friends and followers from multiple sources, including web-sites and mobile devices (Devoe 212). Twitter is a microblogging platform, which was created in San Francisco in 2006 by Evan Williams, Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone. It is the third most popular social network, after Facebook and MySpace (Kierkegaard 577). It did not become mainstream until 2008-09, when accounts and media attention grew exponentionally (Marwick and Boyd 116). The name “Twitter” came about as Stone described that it was what birds did when they met. As your friends would tweet you, you would hear a “chirp” and move together with your friends (Kierkegaard 580).

As tweets consist of 140 characters, this limitation forces users to make their messages brief and straight to the point. Tweets create a constantly updated timeline of short messages, which range from humor and musings on life, to links and breaking news (Marwick and Boyd 116). People can choose to follow someone, but there is no requirement of reciprocity. However, if two people are following each other, they can then send each other 140-character direct messages. Marwick and Boyd note that there is a disconnection between followers and the followed. Many celebrities have hundreds of thousands, or even millions of followers but only follow a small amount of people.

This platform has attracted press attention because of its use during breaking news such as elections, terrorist attacks and natural disasters (Arceneaux and Weiss 1264).  Since the users are so heavily involved and updated to the second, the platform can be seen as a form of citizen journalism. Most ‘citizen journalism’ online relies on and links back to professional news media websites, ensuring that information is credible (Murthy 779).

Any electronic device with Internet can gain access to Twitter, though the brevity of tweets makes the application most suitable for mobile devices (Arceneaux and Weiss 1263). This makes it easily accessible for people anywhere to share and receive information about one another. It is one of the most basic social networking sites; yet, it is the most adaptable and most complex as it forces concise and efficient distribution of various information (Farmer 27). Technology writer Clive Thompson uses the term, “ambient awareness”, which describes a new kind of social awareness. Being able to see what people are up to right at that exact moment seems to be strangely satisfying (Johnson, 1). Creating this connection through Twitter by following a user creates a satisfaction in “knowing” what is going on in their life.

Today, Twitter can be seen as a reading club for people of all ages. As it provides an informal setting, people are more willing to share their ideas and have the freedom to be colloquial with their thoughts. A study shows that when used in a classroom, students are more willing to share their ideas through Twitter, or an online medium, rather than speak up (Young 10). Being able to think about what you have to say, and then post it online, is less intimating than speaking up in person. This allows shy people to participate in discussions and continually converse with others. The fact that information can be disseminated at a near-instantaneous speed is one of Twitter’s main features. A study states that most smart-phone users with a Twitter-based application could take a picture and send a tweet in under 45 seconds (Murthy 783).

Twitter did not just create the reading society that is has now, but it is a product of our social habits today. With its 140-character limit, it appeals to our already online society and short attention spans, leading to its great success.