EOTO #1 : Twitter

The Rise of Twitter: From a Side Project to a Global Phenomenon

In 2006, an NYU student, Jack Dorsey and a group of his co-workers at ODEO, which was a podcasting company, created the platform, Twitter. This concept was originally a side project for the group, but was later developed into a SMS messaging system in which you were able to send messages to groups of people.

In 2007, the platform rapidly became an avenue for political and international relations. The sole purpose of Twitter became to keep international news headlines in front of its users.

However, Twitter also became largely used by businesses to promote content and interact with their customers. One reason why Twitter was so appealing for these usages is because of its unique 140 character limit on posts. These posts were referred to as “Tweets.” This called for concise and powerful messages to be produced by the leaders trying to connect with the masses. 

The Birth of Social Media Influencers

As Twitter grew in popularity, it contributed to the rise of social media influencers, whose popularity and power stemmed from their digital presence. Due to their large followings, influencers used Twitter to share opinions, promote products, and address public issues.

This started the idea of an influencer economy, where individuals could become "famous" simply by building large followings and effectively using platforms like Twitter. No matter what topics they were speaking on, these influencers wielded significant sway over their audiences, helping to shape the modern landscape of social media.

Twitter's Global Struggles: Bans and Government Censorship

However, as Twitter grew, so did the challenges it faced from governments around the world. Due to varying laws and regulations regarding free speech, censorship, and national security, Twitter was banned in several countries, including Brazil, China, Iran, and North Korea. These governments cut off their citizens' ability to engage with the global community through Twitter, fearing that the platform could be used to challenge state authority. Despite this, Twitter continued to influence global conversations and connected people across borders.

Twitter vs. Facebook: A Social Media Rivalry

Over the years, Twitter has rivaled other social media sources, especially that of Facebook. While Facebook has offered everything from photo-sharing to private messaging, Twitter differentiated itself by forming its model off of concise communication. The focus on public relations and news made Twitter especially attractive to journalists, politicians, and leaders, who used the platform to share information and engage in public debates.

The Elon Musk Era: Rebranding and Future Visions

In 2022, Elon Musk purchased the platform. Musk, known for his innovative ideas and approaches, quickly set out to transform Twitter. He rebranded the platform to "X" and began implementing changes with the intention of upgrading the app's technological capabilities.  

Musk has been especially working on the integration of artificial intelligence into his platform. Grok 2.0, an artificial intelligence created by Musk, is currently in the works and is meant to change the way people interact with social media.

Although Musk's new ideas are exciting, it does make people skeptical about the impact that these breakthroughs will have.