For the record, I do indulge in online social media. It’s an easy way to keep up with people near and far via a couple of websites. But I do not tweet.
Twitter seems to be an extremely popular phenomenon for the famous and not so famous. But it also seems to be an activity rife with risk. After all, in just a few score characters hastily composed on computer or mobile device, people might actually know how small minded and/or stupid you are.
For the record, I do indulge in online social media. It’s an easy way to keep up with people near and far via a couple of websites. But I do not tweet.
Twitter seems to be an extremely popular phenomenon for the famous and not so famous. But it also seems to be an activity rife with risk. After all, in just a few score characters hastily composed on computer or mobile device, people might actually know how small minded and/or stupid you are.
Who can forget the ugly tweets after the crowning of Miss America 2014, Nina Davuluri, who is of Indian descent? Some tweeters mistakenly identified Davuluri as an Arab, bemoaning her win as a “victory for the terrorists.” Others were merely insensitive and demeaning, suggesting “Miss 7-11” would be a more appropriate title.
I am sure tweeting can be a fun way of sharing your thoughts with followers, but the tendency to shoot from the lip, as it were, leaves one open to public peril. Say the wrong thing, or the thing that can be interpreted incorrectly, and you're surely going to be bashed for it. It is beyond me why people work so hard to suffer the derision of the virtual world. Misstep
Celebrities are especially good at mis-stepping across the Twitter minefield. In similar displays of loutishness, politician Anthony Weiner and musician John Mayer tweeted photos of their privates. Alec Baldwin has tweeted his mouth off numerous times and, when pilloried by the masses for sharing his ill-thought-out thoughts, swore to quit Twitter.
The NFL has yet to coach players in Twittering technique. The Seattle Seahawks’ Richard Sherman has repeatedly engaged in wars of tweeted words. Richie Incognito of the Miami Dolphins offered tweets of justification for bullying a teammate; his explanations only provided more fodder for his critics.
Of course, some famous people broadcast tweets that show the emptiness of their existence. The irrepressible Kanye West once asked (I assume rhetorically), "Why won't you let me be great?" Paris Hilton shared how much she loved to go shopping.
It is not surprising that many in the public eye have sworn off the tweetscape, including Nicki Minaj, Adele, Keira Knightley, Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown, Zac Efron, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and James Franco. But some stars cannot resist the thrill of easy interaction with their following; Miss Cyrus has already returned to the tweeting fold, and you can bet that other quitters will follow.
I am thankful to share my thoughts in a more thoughtful forum. The disheveled nature of my prose notwithstanding, I make sure that my columns are not composed in a knee-jerk reaction, and a good night’s sleep separates the writing time from the sending to the editor time.
For everyone's safety, I stay away from Twitter. I wouldn't want to write in the heat of the moment, lest everyone suspect that I am a narrow-minded knucklehead. With more than 140 characters to read, the world can clearly see I am not narrow-minded.
Pat Grimes, a former South Bay resident, writes from Ypsilanti, Mich. He can be reached at pgwriter@inbox.com.
