Giving in to Twitter, for good
Despite my initial reservations about Twitter, I’ve come to see how it can help, not hinder, our work for social change.
June 4th, 2009 | by Anna KramerSo I’ve finally taken the plunge: I joined Twitter.
People join Twitter every day, of course, but for me the decision had a special significance. Back in April I blogged about the risks of Twitter and what those could mean for Oxfam; my post generated lots of responses, both online and in person.
Oxfam America has had our own Twitter feed for a while now, and it’s definitely helped us get the word out. (Ironically enough, a few readers mentioned that Twitter was actually where they found my blog post.) But I had, and still have, some real reservations about it. As a writer, I worry about the erosion of language and all its power and nuance. As a communicator for social justice, I fear the abbreviated form could also mean the end of in-depth storytelling as we know it. So in some ways, joining Twitter–even though I did so for personal, not Oxfam-related, reasons–felt like a surrender.
However, I admit that I might possibly, just maybe, could have overreacted.
So far, I’ve got to say that–while it does have a narcissistic element to it–Twitter is also a great way to keep up with friends, as well as instantly hear about the latest posts on my favorite blogs. I’m doubtful, sure, but I’m already guilty of checking it 10 times a day.
Many of the commenters on my original post also got me thinking about how Twitter can help, not hinder, our work for social change. Phil, a fellow writer and blogger, pointed out that Twitter can be a means to generate awareness, not a communications method in and of itself. “Maybe Twitter can be the commercial–the tool that grabs you by your interest and says ‘Hey, you should really pay attention to this,’” he wrote.
Another commenter, Debbie, wrote that “although there are many benefits and interests that I am able to foster with Twitter, the greatest I see is ‘social media for social good.’ The opportunity to reach out to people and get them involved, in their community and globally.”
That kind of involvement takes form in ideas like the Summer of Social Good, “the first large scale charitable campaign to raise funds strictly online through the power of social media and the Internet.” By harnessing the power of sites like Twitter and Facebook, the #sosg (for those who don’t have time to spell out the actual words) transforms the individual act of donating a few bucks to charity and makes it more connected, more engaging, and more viral. And that’s something that benefits everyone.
In the meantime, I’ve got to go–the tweets are calling. Strange to say, I think this might be the beginning of a new addiction.
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Anna Kramer
Writer Anna Kramer joined Oxfam America in 2005. Based in Boston, she covers a broad range of issues for Oxfam, with a focus on our campaigns and organizing work.
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Yesterday, after reading Peter Singer’s ‘The Life You Can Save,” I decided to send a quick $1 to Oxfam using TipJoy. What if every Twitter users tweeted $1 a $ to help their favorite cause?
I had the same reservations and don’t be fooled because, yes, narcissism abounds but also lots of excellent information about anything you could possibly be interested in. My dilemma now is more of a feeling of inadequacy and not being able to contribute to the twittersphere what I get from it. However, It’s provided a good source of motivation and inspiration to want to be more active, vocal and involved in the things that I am passionate about, which are mostly the people/orgs that I follow! Welcome and Good Luck!!
Thanks for the comments! Zendawg, that’s great that you were inspired to give to Oxfam by Peter Singer; I agree that by making the act of donation “viral” Twitter has some interesting potential as a fundraising tool. The Summer of social good seems to be based on the same principle: what if everyone gave $20, then told their friends about it on Twitter or Facebook, and then they gave, etc.?
Lara, thanks especially for the words of welcome (and the reality check). It’s been good so far, but I know what you mean; it’s definitely a little intimidating to figure out what I can contribute to the Twittersphere as an individual–and how to balance the issues I care about with the basically self-involved nature of the medium. Does anyone have thoughts on how to find the right balance?
Great post, Anna. This is what I’ve been mulling over since I joined Twitter last year.
I think it’s important to consider Twitter as a part of the whole social media, brand-building powerhouse that the internet is becoming. Twitter by itself will not be a story-telling medium. That’s not what it’s designed for. However — I do think that 140 characters can be an effective way to send a “literary firefly” into the social media space that links to a more in-depth blog post or video via Tumblr, Viddler, Wordpress, etc. Example: “I’ve seen mothers haggle with agents over the price of their daughters.” with a link to Time Magazine’s article on sex trafficking in Iraq.
Furthermore, we’ve seen examples of star-power (Tara Hunt calls it “whuffie”) raising millions over the internet, or getting people to buy books, ready articles, etc.
Examples: The Obama campaign, the Ron Paul campaign, and pretty much anything Gary Vaynerchuk says or does.
A couple of years ago Gary Vaynerchuk held a t-shirt designing contest on his wine show. He picked the winner and asked people to buy the shirt, and *boom* thousands were sold. That’s when it hit me. Is there a way non-profits can generate this much social capital in the technology space to say, “This village needs clean water” and *boom* $1200 are raised to drill a well in Africa?
That’s my mission right now. Discovering how to generate that much “whuffie” for social change, and making it happen.
Love to hear your thoughts.
Your friend,
Sam Julien