An Ode to Twitter

By Erica Windwer

There are a lot of things that I  love about Twitter. I love that I can get the news in 140 characters and that I can get it before its online, on the radio, or dare I say, in print. I love reading random thoughts and funny messages from my friends, my professors, and from total strangers. I love that I can use it as a supplement to watching TV, debates, elections, and concerts. I love that I can share what I would consider my wittiest, dumbest, or off-the-cuff thoughts, updates, and interactins. But what that I love most about Twitter is the access it gives me to my favorite celebs.

I'm a pop culture buff. I love all things entertainment. If you want to know about baby bump watches, love matches, or high-profile jail visits, I'm your girl. It might be my way of escaping reality or getting myself as close to the celeb lifestyle as I'll ever lead. Whatever it is, I know that I love it and I know that I'm not embarrassed to admit it.

Back in the days of my N*SYNC obsession, I would have done just about anything to communicate with Justin Timberlake and the boys. I may have been nine years old, but I would have offered up all of my Beanie Babies, my AOL time, and my candy jawbreakers to just get a hello from JT. Now, with the Twittersphere, I can (attempt to) talk to the people whose lives I know intimate details about even though they don't know I exist.

I wasn't always a supporter of handles and hashtags. In fact, there were a handful of years in the late 2000s in which I was avidly opposed to tweeting. I didn't like the shorthand language that led to so many grammatical errors and new ways of spelling words in the English language. (Side note, I still refuse to use shorthand in tweets and I still cringe at "u" instead of "you" and any use of the "<3" symbol.) I also didn't think that anyone I knew was on it, it didn't seem hip and god forbid word get out I wasn't hip (although, people might have already known that in hindsight). Anyone who was anyone was on Facebook, no one I knew was on Twitter. Then I made an account. I made it as a secret in the fall of 2009 so that I could follow the cast of Glee. I lived by their every word but rarely responded. What were the chances they'd see it anyway? Wouldn't I just be embarrassing myself in front of all of the internet AKA all of the world?

It wasn't until a Twitter run-in earlier this fall that I really, truly fell for Twitter. In September, I went to an Ed Sheeran concert at the 9:30 Club. My friend and I traveled to the venue near U Street early in the day so that we could wait in line and get close to the stage. While standing in line, I thought I should find the e-mail confirmation with our tickets. I scoured my e-mail and almost stopped breathing. There was no confirmation. I called my housed and asked my mom to check the mail - nothing. I called my roommates and had them check our school mailbox - nothing. I called and e-mailed the ticketing agency but on a late Saturday afternoon no one was around. My friend and I then did the only thing we could think to do, we tweeted Ed, his manager, and the club. Within minutes, Ed's manager tweeted us back saying that he had followed us and we should direct message (DM) him our detials. As we received his DM saying that he had talked to the ticket agent, my phone was ringing. The ticket seller wanted to let me know our tickets had been printed and were waiting for us at will call. I turned to my friend and declared, "THIS is the power of social media."

Not only had we talked to the manager of our favorite artist (a celebrity in his own right), but we he had helped us get everything straightened out in a matter of minutes. Since then, I've had even more famous person Twitter contact talking to some of my favorite musicians about shows of theirs I had seen and, in a few lucky cases, reaching the Twitter-Mecca and getting a few follows. Of course, so many celebritites have millions of followers on Twitter and being noticed can be tough, but with each retweet, trend, and cat video, I find a little bit of hope. And for that, Twitter, I love you.