Why Teens Aren’t Using Twitter: We’re Lazy

8:18 Jul 14th, 2009 | Notes

After reading Daniel Brusilovsky’s TechCrunch article Why Teens Aren’t Using Twitter: It Doesn’t Feel Safe, I felt compelled to put forward my own reasons for Twitter’s lack of popularity among our contemporaries. While Daniel says the reason is because teenagers don’t see Twitter as ‘safe’, I believe the reason teenagers don’t use Twitter is we are fickle creatures of habit.

It all stems from this question: “What is Twitter?”

That is the question that I, as a 16 year old like Daniel, hear from students every time I mention the addictive social network and the one I can never answer with any sort of adequacy. I can say anything; celebrities use it to get in touch with their fans, news sites post new stories, you can let people know what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter. I can say anything and be met with the same response time and time again: “Why?”

And there you have it, the unanswerable question. If you’re an average student with Facebook, there is no reason. The truth is there is no reason for the average student to use Twitter. It fills no gap in their social life like Facebook does.

But how did Facebook become that glue for every student to stay in contact? Simple, everyone started using it. Once enough people started using Facebook, everyone else followed. That flocking has not happened with Twitter. It comes down to that all important question: “Why?” While teenagers use Facebook, there is no reason why the average student should use Twitter.

Teenagers don’t use twitter because it feels unsafe, because Facebook gives them friends’ email addresses and instant messaging screen names and phone numbers, or because an SMS message costs too much. You have to understand that in schools, there are no discussions of ‘Social Networks’, there is only discussion of Facebook. There is no thinking of Facebook as a closed network and Twitter as an open one. You have to understand that there is nothing in students’ experience outside of Facebook.

Teenagers are lazy. We find one spot and we stay there, regardless of the fact that that grassy knoll over there looks more comfortable than where we’re sitting. Using that logic, the only reason teenagers don’t use Twitter is because Facebook came first and that’s where we’ll stay.

Palm Pre Review Roundup! (OK Only the Negative Stuff)

11:35 Jun 5th, 2009 | Notes

Yay! Bitching about a cell phone! How exciting!

I love what Engadget had to say about the phone:

“Besides the standard issues we had with the construction of the phone, we did spot another peculiar problem we hope is just a one-in-a-million fluke with the test device we were given: it physically broke… There is a small flap that covers the MicroUSB port, and while attempting to get the thing open, a thin piece of plastic which runs along the bottom of the casing just snapped. Now, we’re not saying this is a widespread problem—in fact, reps at Palm claimed this was the first time they’d seen it happen—but it was a little disconcerting.”

Personally I found this paragraph hilarious!

I also liked noting that the slide out keyboard has razor sharp edges that many reviews found potentially hazardous. Screw you Motorola! You call that a ‘Razr’? Well you obviously haven’t used the Palm Pre.

$10 to the first outlet to report someone cutting themselves on the Pre.

No Twitter For You This Tiananmen Square Anniversary Day

10:35 Jun 2nd, 2009 | Notes

It continues to amaze me that the Chinese government continue to think that they can impose such stringent censorship of the internet and still believe it works! Then again, when I was in China, the family I was staying with didn’t understand our bicameral, multi party electoral system when I tried to explain it to them. They were surprised to find that we had different parties we could vote for.

Okay, so censorship is working. Thank goodness I’m not in China at the moment because HOW COULD I LIVE WITHOUT TWITTER!?

TechCrunch says services like Twitter, Flickr, Bing, Live.com, Hotmail.com and Blogger have all been blocked in China as of today in the lead up to the anniversary. You may also be interested to know that my blog is also blocked in China! Yay! How exciting!

Particle

9:15 May 5th, 2009 | Notes

Particlebrand.com was brought to my attention by TechCrunch today and I say, I am impressed!

Particle is a new internet startup which aims to makes products that are “massively small”. Sounds silly right? Well the concept does, but what they’re making is good. Then again, most people have expected that from anything with Justin Timberlake as the lead investor (which he is by the way).

So far, they have a few products out. Robo.to is like a calling card for the web. Like a business card of sorts. A product which I like is called Crusher. It’s job is to make interactive, online invitation and events page. So you send out a party invitation, and send people to your crusher event page with everything you could possibly want on it. Videos, photos, lists of what to bring, where the party is, comments and even a tool to work out what the best time for the party is. Think of it as an invitation for the 21st century, no matter what the occasion! Very cool.

p0p is the final service I had a chance to look at. It’s a service to jot down stuff that you like! Quick and easy. They like to say that you ‘p0p’ something that you like, but whatever.

They have some more stuff, but it’s hard to grasp what they’re on about when it’s all in alpha development. Oh well, I’ll be keeping my eye on these guys!