Social media giant Twitter turns 10 on Monday, March 21, marking a decade of changing our world in many ways—from how we keep up with friends to how we report customer service issues to how we relate to people we admire. In honor of this double-digit birthday, let's take a look at some of the latest news on the social media site with these five articles.
You can read these articles using CPL's Online Resources, but I've also noted if an article is available freely on the web.
"Twitter User Growth Is Stalling in Spite of Extensive Changes" by Mike Isaac
The New York Times, February 11, 2016 (also available on The New York Times website)
Most of the news about Twitter lately has centered not on its milestone birthday but on the turnaround sought by its CEO, Jack Dorsey, one of its cofounders, who left the company and then returned in 2015. This article details Twitter's bid to attract more users with a number of forthcoming changes.
"Life, in Little Chirps; Introducing Twitter, a Web Experiment in the Mass Appeal of Mundane Details" by Sam Diaz (also available on The Washington Post website)
The Washington Post, June 9, 2007
Wondering what Twitter was like then vs. now? In this blast from the past, hear from a couple early adopters who used Twitter primarily as an online diary, but were starting to keep up with politicians and thinking about uses for the social network.
"The Celebrity Election" by Lauren Johnson
Adweek, January 25, 2016
It's hard to talk about Twitter this year without talking about the 2016 presidential campaigns. This article explores how candidates are using social media—and relying on the social media prowess of the celebrities who support them.
"Will Twitter's Long-Range Plan to Tackle Online Harassment Work?" by Max Lewontin
The Christian Science Monitor, February 10, 2016
Earlier this year, Twitter launched a Trust & Safety Council made up of 40 organizations and academics, who the company will look to as it develops products and policies, and works to balance fighting abuse and protecting free expression online.
"Twitter Storms Can Help Gauge Damage of Real Storms and Disasters, Study Says" by Robert Lee Hotz
Wall Street Journal, March 11, 2016 (also available on the Wall Street Journal website)
It turns out those tweets sent by folks enduring natural disasters, like 2012's superstorm Sandy, are helpful for even more than keeping family and friends informed. Scientists analyzed millions of tweets sent during that storm and found the messages can help emergency crews determine the areas with the worst property damage.
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