New media debate: Twitter, social media gives the power to the people

It should be pretty obvious to anyone with an Internet connection that new media is changing our lives in a significant way. Between Facebook, Twitter, blogs and YouTube, the way that people interact, get the news and share information will never be the same.

Some people may think that our lives moving increasingly into a digital space is a bad thing: arguments can be made that Facebook "friends" aren't really friends, that online interaction is no substitute for real interaction and that new media is nothing but a distraction from real issues and real news.

Those people are overlooking something important: that these new media outlets and social networking sites, when used in specific ways, definitely bring people closer together as well as provide valuable tools for the gathering and dispersal of news.
Twitter is not entirely people posting about how they just took a dump or that they're sitting bored in class. It has caught on in the mainstream media in a big way, and "real news" outlets like The Seattle Times use it to report real news. The killer feature of Twitter is its ability to easily post rapid, short updates on news that are instantly dispersed to anyone who wants to read them. An event can unfold on a Twitter account over the course of several hours, and people following at home can feel like they're there with frequent updates about what's going on with a crime situation or the score at a sporting event. After Maurice Clemmons murdered four police officers in Lakewood, updates about the police manhunt were posted to Twitter at a fervent pace—faster than they ever could be on a normal news site or even on television. People were able to stay informed and safe much easier.

While it's clear that one can't have a legitimate relationship with a person entirely on Facebook, it sure makes the process of having real-life friends a bit easier. Want to have a party? You can create an event and invite all of your friends over in 10 minutes, and it's pretty certain that most of them will check their Facebook in time to RSVP—much better than having to call everyone individually. Facebook has made it easier to keep in touch with high school friends, and provides a place for people to share things that interest them with lots of other people with a few simple clicks.

The point of new media is the ability to share at the click of a button, whether it be information, humor or a simple poke. YouTube has turned into what America's Funniest Home Videos used to be—but without network TV executives choosing what they think the public will find funny. The ability to share easily has put the power in the people's hands: You choose what you want to see and not see, not someone else.

While there may be a whole lot of crap out there, that's OK. If you don't want to waste time reading your friend's status updates or personal Twitter accounts, that's entirely up to you. The power is in the user's hands, and that's what makes this new kind of media so special.

Angelo can be reached at webmaster@su-spectator.com