What is tweeting

If you haven't signed on in awhile you might get a box of recommended tweets you may have missed, but outside of that the equation is simple: The further down you scroll, the older the tweets get. This immediacy has made Twitter the go-to place to watch protests unfold around the world, follow and comment on sports games or TV shows as they happen, and make fun of celebrity missteps right when the news is hot. The best and sometimes worst part is that the people sharing information and tweeting photos aren't necessarily newscasters.

Anyone can be a reporter or a cultural critic on Twitter, and that's led to a universe of diverse viewpoints, all amplified organically. Tweets can contain links, photos, GIFs, or videos. But if you're tweeting text, you're limited to characters. It used to be , which was even more stifling, but once you get used to it you'll learn to love the brevity. It helps make your tweets pithy, and there's much less rambling you have to read when scanning other tweets.

Some even say Twitter helps us become better writers. Stepping into the Twitter stream unprepared can leave you feeling rudderless. Who to follow? What to tweet? Does this show up on my Twitter page? Am I missing things my friends post? What's an RT? Follow our tips to get started on Twitter, and set yourself up for a more fulfilling experience.

Step 1: Go to Twitter. The "Full name" that you provide will be your display name, but unlike Facebook, you can change your display name to whatever you want as many times as you want, so it's really easy to stay anonymous if you so choose. Step 2: Enter in your phone number.

This is a form of authentication that will help in case you ever lose access to your account. You'll want to use a phone you actually have access to because the next step will ask you to verify a number sent via text. Step 3: Pick a password, and make it secure! You don't need a troll getting a hold of your account and dismantling the reputation you've worked so hard to build. Step 4: Choose your interests. This will help with the next step, which is where Twitter will give you suggestions of people you can follow.

You can also skip both of these by saying "skip for now" in the top right hand corner. That will be your username, or handle, and people can notify you by typing in front of your username in a tweet. Choose something you like that you think isn't taken, but also something easy to remember for others. Step 6: Pick an avatar. The default picture is a silhouette, but you can make your avatar whatever you want your face, a dog on a skateboard, the possibilities are endless.

Just click the silhouette and head to "Profile" and then click "Edit Profile" on the right underneath the blue bar. You can update your header photo from this place, too. Be sure to read Twitter's rules for avatar images to make sure what you pick is not in violation.

Step 7: Write your bio. You may wish to list where you work, live, or a line from a favorite poem in your bio.

This is the short blurb that lets potential followers know who you are and what you're likely to tweet. There is also a handy spot to list your website, if you have one.

Make sure to use your real one as the next step will ask you to verify. Step 2: Enter in the verification number that you received at whatever contact information you put in in Step 1. This means young people under the age of 16 in Ireland are not allowed to access this platform. As with many social networking sites, there are risks for young people.

And many of the risks are the same as those which come with all the other social networking sites. Twitter is a very public forum. This means that almost anyone can log on and view what a specific person has said since they joined the site. Imagine if you tweeted a message about how you hated your job and a potential new employer came across the tweet criticising your old boss.

What does this say about you? Despite the privacy settings, any tweet can be retweeted by other users whose followers can then retweet this again.

This means in just seconds, messages can be seen by thousands of people. Twitter is slightly different form many social networking sites in that often, young people and all other users are constantly online. Many users have their Twitter browser open on a continual basis, on mobile phones or laptops, and interact with the site many times a day.

Given that there are predators out there, and unscrupulous scam merchants, the wealth of personal information contained on the site tweeted by young people, whether it be locations, pictures, school events etc, is dangerous.

Again, as with most social networking sites, there are things which we would rather our children did not see and with Twitter, there is little or no bar to inappropriate images or messages being retweeted and spread across the site.

And to add to that, cyberbullying is a big problem on Twitter. Because of its instantaneous and viral nature, nasty messages can be tweeted at users with ease and can be repeated again and again.

For more information on getting the most out of Twitter and staying safe online, visit their recently launched Safety Centre here: twitter. Twitter is a treasure trove of information. Many organisations and users tweet links to interesting articles or new information and the site can be a great tool for young people to broaden their understanding of the world.

But now, many high profile people are using Twitter. This gives people access to what they are saying and doing, and in a celebrity era, this makes Twitter extremely popular with young people. Given too, that young people are naturally born multi-taskers, Twitter is popular because it suits the modern, face-paced world we live in. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads.

Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Paul Gil. Paul Gil, a former Lifewire writer who is also known for his dynamic internet and database courses and has been active in technology fields for over two decades. Updated on August 30, Jon Fisher. Lifewire Technology Review Board Member. Article reviewed on Mar 27, Tweet Share Email.

In This Article. Why Twitter Is Popular. How Twitter Works. Why People Tweet. Twitter as a Form of Amateur News Reporting. Twitter as a Marketing Tool. Twitter as a Social Messaging Tool. Why Celebrities Like Twitter.

Twitter Is Many Things. How do I set up a Twitter account? How do I delete my Twitter account? How do I make my Twitter private?

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