Tweet Tweet

http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2009/0906/a_pb_0615.jpg

The most recent issue of TIME features Twitter on its cover. Twitter, a social networking website rapidly gaining popularity. About a month ago, I gave in and got a Twitter account. About two weeks ago, I gave in even more and downloaded a Twitter app for my BlackBerry.

This fast spread of Twitter proves technology is indeed taking over our lives. Having started with Myspace (at least for people my age), it moved on to Facebook, and now it's Twitter. As my co-worker pointed out today, since when did we use the term "mutual friend" to describe the friends two people have in common? Not quite until Facebook completely hypnotized us. Before the world of Facebook, our terms mainly included "we both know Jane," "we are all good friends" "oh, we know the same people!" Ever since Facebook came up with a handy dandy feature of Mutual Friends, we now say, "we have 56 mutual friends! how did we not know each other before?"

Keeping that in mind, reading this TIME article on Twitter made me finally realize how much change we have witnessed in our lifestyles due to all these social networking websites. Constantly updating our status updates and Tweets, when used wisely, these features actually help us keep up-to-date on everyone's businesses. So if you were to check Facebook or Twitter frequently and receive your friends' news that way, is that considered stalking? Not quite. You are just simply using those website to your advantage, so next time you run into that person, you'll know exactly what to say. Congratulations! Or, I'm sorry... Or, How was the restaurant you went to the other day?

YJ