Lift every voice, and tweet. Til' Echo and Tweetdeck ring... Ring with the harmony of unity...
My friend asked me this one time on gchat, “Why is it that Black people tweet so damn much?” I immediately answered him back with, “Because Twitter is the underground railroad of Corporate America.” We both shared a quick laugh and then we got back to doing what we do best, fly below the radar at our jobs. However, to be honest with you the reason that Black people tweet so much is because very rarely do Black people in America find themselves in settings where they can truly be heard. If you notice, there are times when Black people will tweet a lot, and then there are times when they will not tweet much at all. The true test of someone’s vacation is whether or not they are tweeting. It’s simple, if you have time to tweet then you are not enjoying yourself. I remember a few years back a friend of mine was gchatting with me while in Vegas, I told him, “There’s no way you’re having a good time if you have time to chat with me.” And he wasn’t, he was in Vegas with a group of strangers that he didn’t feel comfortable talking around. (I’ll even go as far to say that in addition to Twitter, you’d probably notice that Black people’s gchat use is significantly higher than our white counterparts. Actually, a study once found that Black people make up 25% of the U.S. Twitter population, meaning our presence on Twitter is double our presence in the general population.)
Today’s Mixtape is a special from @CarvertheGreat and @Chan_LO, this is called Sophisticated Ignorance, right click here and save target as, or stream below, playlist is at the end of the post:
In order to explain why Black people tweet so much, or why it’s perceived that way, I point to four very key landmarks in Black history:
1) The Negro Spiritual – Twitter is an effective medium of communication for Black people to speak with their friends while they’re at work. It’s a quick and short message (or rant) to everyone following them. You can give out messages to your peoples that you couldn’t otherwise pass over the phone or aloud. For example, how does it look when you’re at your desk yapping on the phone about happy hour and debating the when and where? However, you can get on Twitter and tweet, “Where’s everyone headed for happy hour today?” or “I’ll be at the Empire Room later for happy hour.”
2) The novel, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison – Black people are suppressed in corporate America, maybe more accurately described as white Corporate America. We’re not seen by our leadership and many times even our peers neglect to see us in the workplace. You don’t have a soundboard to vent to when things aren’t going well, or even someone to agree with your points. Many times you have the right answer in your mind, but you’re never championed in your workplace to share. (And we all know how much Black people hate talking when no one is listening or cares about what we have to say.) Twitter affords you the ability to express yourself. You can sound off your theory on how to solve a problem at your job or just complain about work because you can’t do that with the other people at your job, them dudes might snitch. So while you’re sitting in a meeting that makes no sense you can draft a quick tweet, “This man got one more time to come out his face talking to me … watch.” This lets all your friends know that you’re having a rough day at work. You blow off a little steam and nobody at your place of employment gets hurt.
3) Hip Hop – The Negro spiritual and the concept of the “Invisible Man” is are both about misdirection; and that’s exactly what hip hop was back in its roots. It was a way for the people in the ghetto to communicate with the people in the ghetto and know that nobody outside the ghetto was listening. We were talking about things that mattered to us about us. And that’s all that “Black Twitter” is, things that matter to us, that are about us. For example, “If your girl skips track #2 on Watch The Throne, #sheahoe” is mad informative in the hood. But, “If your girl has Ralph Lauren riding boots, #sheahoe” doesn’t mean a thing in white America, to them that just mean she’s putting out. That’s likely to get a girl about 20-50 more followers. Informative to Black people, irrelevant to white people. #nahmsaying.
4) Together we stand, Divided we fall – Black people have always found strength in numbers. We just love to do things together. Black people go to the bathroom together, we go to church together, we march together, we go to the DMV together, we do everything together, it’s only natural that we even tweet together. If you come up on Twitter on a Sunday night it’s not surprising to see “Black Twitter” going off for #TrueBlood or #BBW. I’m going to tell you something that’s going to bend all y’all noodles. Have you ever noticed that when you look back at the sitcoms on TV all the Black families watched TV together? Good Times, Fresh Prince, Cosby Show, Living Single, Martin, go back and watch those shows and peep when they are watching TV, they was always in the living room, and they did it TOGETHER. Now think about this, where was Zack’s TV? In his room. Where was Joey’s TV? In his room. How come you never saw Al and Bud watching TV together? That’s just how Black people have always been. We have always been looking for ways to show a unified front in society. I would go as far as to say, you can’t get 1 million Black people to march on the National Mall in 2011, but you sure as hell could get 1 million Black people to follow you on Twitter if you get your Klout up on #TrueBlood.
It’s that simple, that’s all the reasoning that anyone should need to understand the amount of tweets by a Black person versus a white person. Twitter is just like basketball or football, wasn’t originally made for Black people, but we took that sh*t to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL. Black people have a history of taking something originally intended to be enjoyed only slightly, turning it into talent and a way out the hood. Don’t get me wrong, this is not to say that white people don’t tweet a lot too, Pistol Pete and Larry Bird had great careers in basketball. But just like those guys, the only white person I know who has like 80K tweets, actually thinks she’s a Black girl trapped in a white girl’s body. So yeah…
– Dr. J
TRACKLIST – 1. Candy Paint by E-40, Slim Thug, Bun B, 2. Spend It by Tity Boi (2 Chainz), 3. Carter IV Interlude by Tech 9ne & Andre 3000, 4. Never Done by Baby D, 5. That Sh*t Real by The-Dream & Pharrell, 6. Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay by Big Sean & Kanye, 7. Illest Motherf*cker Alive by Jay-Z & Kanye, 8. The Zone by The Weeknd & Drake, 9. That Way by Wale, Jeremih, & Rick Ross
Twitter being our underground railroad is an interesting concept that I've never considered and I agree with most of the points you had
However I wish that black people's creativity and control of not only of our language (ebonics) but English had been emphasized more. Black people are creative we flipped phrases over and over, we create plenty of slang. Twitter is a black person's paradise because of our ability to communicate creatively.
But the main reason BLACK PEOPLE LOVE TWITTER IS BECAUSE BLACK PEOPLE ARE POPULAR CULTURE. We set the trends (trending topic). Twitter is a social network made of real time news about popular culture. WE ARE THAT NEWS and WE ARE THE ANCHORS of such INFORMATION.
My recent post Good Givers are Great Getters
"WE ARE THAT NEWS and WE ARE THE ANCHORS of such INFORMATION."
Wowwww. We Doing Big Thangs Huh?!!!! I had no idea. #OneChildLeftBehind
#TwoChildrenLeftBehind… LOL… You are not alone…
No, black people are the typical less busy people. We are not the popular culture, we are the TOOLS for popular culture. The trends are innately white consensus, black people do a better job with PR. Black people get interested in complaining. Twitter provides the means. black people love to brag, twitter gives you that. Black people like to look busy while doing nothing. Hence the 20,000 tweets with 34 followers. Who's paying attention to that? How many corporate america gurus are rambling on twitter? Minute to zero. How many average income earning young social-recreational minded blacks are there on twitter? Plenty. Black people should start paving a way in social media, and stop being the vessels for diminishing intelligience and allocating wealth to white folks.
My recent post The power of the skinny tie
I'd be interested to hear what everyone has to say. I'm pretty far removed from black twitter culture so I dunno. I just couldn't get into it when it first came out for some reason. I think I was busy. My friends don't use it very actively either, so I don't have much an incentive to join now that I have more time. I still relate to some of what was said in your post, though. I definitely do sound off to my friends about my frustrations, but I do that mostly via text or in-person conversation. I don't think I would ever feel comfortable sounding off about work issues or racial issues via a social network platform. That just doesn't seem wise.
I can see how it would be helpful with arranging social events though. Much more efficient than the way my friends and I go about it now (via text).
My recent post Made Up Face to the World.
I actually find it refreshing to approach or comment on social/political/racial issues via Twitter. (Nice break from the usual banter) I don't think there's anything unwise about it, as long as you aren't threatening presidential assasinations or inciting riots LoL. It's a great way to get different perspectives and sometimes even enlighten others about issues that they otherwise would not have been aware of on their own. (I.E. today on Twitter the Troy Davis outrage is a heavy topic.)
As for work rants, I'd agree you have to choose your words carefully though. Bosses tweet too.
black people are naturally opinionated commentators, philosophers, and comedians. Twitter provides the platform to display the comedic and political genius people feel they possess that the world needs to hear. black twitter makes every TV show, sports event and awards show a hundred times funnier. if i was a professional comedian i'd definitely be perusing twitter for ideas.
i still remember someone saying Debra Lee came to the "EBT" awards as a rock climbing wall, re: her dress. i nearly passed out from laughter. it can be rather mean, but we love talking about people…. together. twitter makes me never want to be famous. lol.
on the other hand, it has grown my intellectual community by leaps and bounds. so many great minds, resources, networking opps, and articles are available, that you can learn quite a lot in just one night just from a few clicks or discourse in tweets. it has definitely made everyone more accessible. that six degrees of separation term should be six followers now.
My recent post concrete jungle where dreams are maaaade of….
The six followers rule is the realeast thing in the world. It makes dating outside of your circle IMPOSSIBLE. #reasonstodropTwitter.
My recent post Word
That's a good point. When you're dating someone who can read your tweets, he can see sides of you that you normally wouldn't show him, which can be a good or bad thing. Can get tricky. I'm real bad about tweeting & then deleting.
u can never delete fast enough
My recent post ItzTrizz617: Make sure yall #wakeandbrush too
I know 🙁
By making your twitter TM private, you would have to "allow" someone to follow you, so you could deny them… *shrug* #JustAThought
My Rule of Thumb: Boyfriend/Girlfriends shouldn't be friends on FB/Twitter/G-Chat/MySpace, etc. it's a recipe for disaster. No need to co-mingle your social media lives just because you did it with your personal life.
Actually, I'm friends with current and formers (except the ex-hub…no thx) on FB (what's MySpace??? LOL). However, I rarely…dag near NEVER comment on the currents page…especially with emo, plans, or the like. I don't post boo pics (I've been tagged in memory lane pics by formers though…thats ok). I don't frequent the currents page…and my current is rarely on FB. I don't broadcast my relationship status…
Its okay as long as you don't post anything stupid…or go stalking folks pages, lol. But, if you're out that mobb, your rela is on its last leg anyway! LOL
I feel like if you can't get out of your circle, then you can't get out of your circle. I will say there's nothing like seeing two people from your past tweeting each other and you're thinking, "I wonder if they know…"
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
Agreed doc.lol
My recent post I Be Paneling. Check Me Out!
"I feel like if you can't get out of your circle, then you can't get out of your circle."
Another lesson that I'm slowly but surely seeing. I just got out of college though so I'm hoping I can find a group of cool people, not just dateable men, to kick it with as I get older. It's lookin' bleak though lol
My recent post Word
Yep, its all true..except nobody tweets more than the white guy on twitter "theguywithnolife"….he tweets like it's his job…and he is getting paid to do it. I would tweet more but I really don't have anything clever to say most of the time….but, I do enjoy reading other tweets…some people are quite amusing and funny with it….some people honestly, need to tweet just a bit less…..Terry McMillan is the best person to follow on twiiter…she is always tweeting little nuggets that make you think……
Tweeters block be a muh sometimes
My recent post ItzTrizz617: Can someone explain how is Vince Young got hurt from benchwarming tho
This:
**We both shared a quick laugh and then we got back to doing what we do best, fly below the radar at our jobs.**
Does not make sense in relation to your 2nd point. Just sayin…
Not sure I follow.
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
Apologies for lack of clarity. When I read that first line, before I even knew where you were going to take the rest of the post, I thought "Wow, it sucks that he and his friend lack ambition and/or haven't found a career path that motivates them."
The post was about Twitter though, so I put that aside and kept reading so as not to derail the thread. Then I get to reason 2 which I realize is meant to be a generalized point but I'm sure is also rooted in your personal experiences.
It seems to me that if you are deliberately trying to stay under the radar at work, you can't then complain that your contributions aren't being taken seriously. Your coworkers are likely to pick up on the fact that you're phoning it in and maybe you need to find another line of work.
That said, this doesn't take away from your original point as I am sure there are black folks out there trying their best who still feel unappreciated at work and use Twitter as an outlet. I just think it's important to separate those cases from the ones where people clearly lacking in ambition are rightly ignored.
I think I was misunderstood. I am not sure you know me as a professional, so i'll share. I don't think you can make any firm conclusions based on two statements in a blog about Twitter. Do I intentionally stay under the radar at work? No. My advice to young Black people coming out of college is rooted in a few years experience in this white Corporate America system. "Don't tell them you're smart, let them find out you're smart." When you try and tell someone that you're smart, you come off as a threat, if you let them find out, then you are likely to fit into the model with a better position.
I prefer performance over positioning, but I think both are equally important. The reason why I said, "fly under the radar" or the concept of the "Invisible Man" is because my ambition can be attacked if I show my hand too early or under the wrong circumstances. As a Black man in corporate America is important to carefully pick and choose your spots. You have to know when to seize the moment and you have to know when to keep your guard up. Not knowing the difference will put you at all sorts of disadvantages.
You won't find many people, white or Black, with the level of ambition I have. It goes back to one of my favorite quotes, "I didn't change. I just had a pretty good idea of who I wanted to be and didn't want you to steal it."
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
yea…i'm jackin that quote
My recent post ItzTrizz617: Its a shame how much milk is wasted at my crib…i need to rent a kid or suttin
I can only go by what was written, and your original statement suggested a different approach to work than you are sharing now. The point of my comment wasn't to analyze your work ethic, but to point out the inconsistencies that were taking away from you conveying your point.
Maybe you should write a post about being black at the office… it seems to be something you're passionate about.
I did write about this over at NV Magazine.
However, it's coming… it's coming.
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
why so presumptuous?! smh. People fly under the radar for a myriad of reasons that have nothing to do with lack of ambition.
I think its no different from talking to yourself. Out Loud! LOL Sometimes I Tweet because I find something funny, or out of frustration. Sometimes just to put some news out there, or get some news. K.I.T. with fam, but most of the time its a stress reliever. I like you can blurt that errational, quirky, thought out in the twitersphere and whether you get an @ reply or a retweet really doesn’t matter. At the end of the day you got it out of your head and onto the virtual paper. Although there are somethings better left unsaid. For those just search the thought you had in your head…most of the time somebody has already felt the same way. You can RT if you like. For me it just let’s me know that “I’m not the only one!” Lol I guess, I just dont get the whole Follow Me thing. Especially if you gotta ask/tell somebody to follow you. I like people to follow me cause they are interested enough in what I say to seek me out. I mean I follow people who spark my interest, be it comical, educational, just good social commmentary. I don’t follow out of obligation (just because your asked)or to gain High Follow rates. Oh well to each his/her own. (Sidenote:The mix was cool today although I quickly jumped to the last 5 songs. )
I think alot of it has to do with reaching so many people, some ninjas dont ever leave the hood but suddenly they got 10000 people who read what they say. Perhaps its the fact that black people never had a voice before that we have taken this and ran with it. Our generation as a whole has become pretty self absorbed, social media has taken off because everyone thinks everyone else cares about what they think. Myspace was rappers, Facebook is models, Youtube is dancers, and Twitter is comedians.
My recent post ItzTrizz617: Its a shame how much milk is wasted at my crib…i need to rent a kid or suttin
So true, plus twitter like Myspace and Facebook has become a place too meet new people who you probably never knew existed. At school there were people I followed who I never saw on campus (or never paid attention too) until I started following them on twitter. Twitter also gets rid of clutter if you’re trying to promote something. For example I’m more likely to click the link on someone’s 140-character tweet to read their blog post, than go to the fb page and search through his or her wall comments.
But unlike Myspace and Facebook Twitter is still in it's prime , hopefully it does'nt lose it's luster like Myspace and Facebook. I still go on Facebook but if I see one more ad for fake Jordans, Man on Man.
LOL @ fake Jordans ads on FB, unreal. I rarely go to FB anymore either. I find that with Twitter, I'm either on it a lot, or not at all. I have my times when I'm in a twitter mood but lately I haven't had much time for anything, not writing, not tweeting, not the way that I would like to. I do love twitter though, it's refreshing and it keeps me up with the times.
I wonder does the increase in use of Twitter by the black populace(is this really the case?) tied in any way to the high levels of unemployment (more free time) and what is the age demographic of black twitter users? and the timeframe (morning, evening, after dark). Is it tied to a certain sector of Black Americans in larger numbers (college students, Greeks, social clubs, sports fans, etc..)
Just putting it out there before some white doctoral candidate decides on a thesis.
Never thought about this. But I find that my followers & I typically tweet more often when we're at work. Twtitter helps us communicate with people that we WANT to talk to rather than the ones we HAVE to talk to at our jobs.My pastor even tweets from the pulpit. My unemployed followers are quiet during the day, but maybe that's because their days are spent looking for work or watching tv. The exceptions are events like football games & award shows when everybody is tweeting.
PK, That makes sense, as since we are all writing on a blog during the day and I assume the majority of us are employed.
Then my next question would be, is it certain types of jobs/position/industries that allow us (Black folk) the time and independence to be able to tweet? I don't tweet during the day because It's not my style and I don't necessarily have the time to divulge all the happenings.
I don't think you have the answer, just putting my thoughts out on the interwebs
To me it's people who have computer access and the right type of phone. Those people who spend a lot of time alone, but like to talk are more likely to tweet more. For me it works because I spend a lot of time thinking at my job, i'm not in an industry where you are constantly working with your hands 8 hours a day.
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
"Have you ever noticed that when you look back at the sitcoms on TV all the Black families watched TV together? Good Times, Fresh Prince, Cosby Show, Living Single, Martin, go back and watch those shows and peep when they are watching TV, they was always in the living room, and they did it TOGETHER. Now think about this, where was Zack’s TV? In his room. Where was Joey’s TV? In his room. How come you never saw Al and Bud watching TV together?"
Mind. Blown.
I've been on Twitter two years and still have no idea what the point is, however, I have made a lot of contacts and new readers as it pertains to my writing. I'm actually still shaping how I want to "brand" myself on Twitter but for the most part "It's only entertainment." – Jay Z Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way #inreallife.
My recent post Maybe I Should Have Called Her
@DrJ I was curious as to the subject of your next non-dating post. You did good.
Twitter is the poor man’s broadcast.
yeah been on twitter since early this year and I probably have less than a 100 tweets. I mainly got on to get access to some amazingly smart brains, so all I do is read.
My recent post Race – an illegitimate concept.
This was a really good post J. I didn't really become active on twitter until i became active in the blog community. I appreciate it because if gives me the opportunity to interact with folks who read my blog, and with other bloggers in a way that I would be unable to otherwise. Plus, it's generally hilarious.
My recent post The Millennial Manifesto: How 80′s Babies Can Save the World
This is the same reason why I got on Twitter too. I just found that Twitter would be the best way to promote my blog and other projects. Then after several studies, I really decided what my Twitter approach would be. I can't spell it out. But there was a subliminal in the post today.
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
“Because Twitter is the underground railroad of Corporate America.”
LOL, well put.
Twitter is definitely a great escape from corporate life. And it's why I keep that (and the blog) completely separate from my professional life. I actually recently created a separate Twitter acct for the non-ratchet part of me… ya know, the part of me that wants to get gigs. lol
And, YES, Twitter is most fun when all the kneegrows join together for one cause. Whether it's a productive one or not, it's entertaining. 🙂
I'm still trying to navigate my way around this twitter world smoothly, but at times it gets to be a little bit much so I just sign off, but I will say some of the trending topics are Hee-larious, a little ignant at times, but funny just the same.
My favorite was #YousASideChic *lol* the men were going in dropping clues and some women, until one chick was like "it's funny there's a few Sidedudes here as well and they don't even know and she @em with a sideeye. *lmao* it got real RUFF after that.
Twitter is like double dutch. You have to watch for a while, and then you can do it.
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
I sucked at double dutch.. sigh
*wallslide*
The MIX!!!
Carry On……..
You always notice… you always notice…
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
"Have you ever noticed that when you look back at the sitcoms on TV all the Black families watched TV together? Good Times, Fresh Prince, Cosby Show, Living Single, Martin, go back and watch those shows and peep when they are watching TV, they was always in the living room, and they did it TOGETHER. Now think about this, where was Zack’s TV? In his room. Where was Joey’s TV? In his room. How come you never saw Al and Bud watching TV together?"
This killed me dead.
If I found that scribbled on a scrap of paper blowing in the wind deep in the tundra of the Northwest Territories, I would know instantly it was Dr. J. Because only he would write some sh!t like that.
My recent post Sexy Ugly
i like twitter sometimes. and other times i don't.
i actually tweet quite frequently. i've had my account since sometime in 2008. i follow an array of people so i get different types of tweets in my timeline. i actually like it that way since i talk about different things. from things that go on with my research, to why j cole is a way better rapper than meek mill (#shots), to my love for jack daniels (*ThreeIceCubesPlease*).
i agree with the reasons you listed for why black people tweet a lot. i'll confess i'm one of those people that go ham on sundays for #TrueBlood and coming up #BoardwalkEmpire.
My recent post Marriage v. Children
If you watch sports on DVR or Tivo then you really hate Twitter. You have to know when you have to push the X on the box.
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
Twitter can be a little scary sometimes lol. Everyone has one Friend Fmaily Corporations. One time I was coming from Mexico back to NY and had to take a connecting flight from Phillly to JFK. Somewhere between those flights my bags were left in Philly. So it's 1 am Im tired and angry about my bags so I tweet something like " F3$k JFK.. making me go through this extar BS " 10 mins later I get a tweet from JFK apolgizing for the error. I did'nt # sign them or anything they just peeped the tweet. Thats how come I never tweet about my Job (or atleast I dont put their name in the tweet) mess around and get a tweet talking about Im fired.
I’m one of those black folks who love Twitter. I tweet alot and have been sent to #twitterjail on several occasions. I’ve said so many times that Twitter is social networking at it’s finest–when used correctly. It is a source of instant information from one person to another.
Yes it can be quite foolish and many times it makes watching TV shows so much more exciting or dreadful–but there is also a number of mature black men and women who engage in relevant discussions.
I’ve seen how important Twitter is during disasters, the way we are able to quickly transmit important details about what may be happening is not only awesome but a example of the technological times we live in. Twitter has so many different apps, which makes it very accessible and easy to use, I think thats one answer to why Black people tweet so much. Lastly, if you google your Twitter name, it shows all your tweet history…since all tweets are archived, anyone can go back and see these conversations–which can be a great thing; of course, when used properly.
Why do I tweet? ____Cuz i'm bored at work and I need to let the world in on my random thoughts. I RARELY tweet at night. I'm always on the go and don't have time to stop and address the Twitter World of what's going on in my head or what i find funny. I've been on for 2 years and i'm at a little over 16K tweets. I can't imagine how cats tweet day and into the wee hours in the night, but they do and i just hope their nights are just as fulfilling as they are had Twitter never existed. Twitter can have the same effect on adults as video games have on children.
I used to tweet my butt off when I was a college freshman and sophomore. Now as I’m in a lot of organizations, working 30+ hours, internship and my school load being on twitter just isn’t a priority for me. I get on for a few minutes, tweet a while, then there are hours and days I don’t tweet. Such is life.
Wait until you're at your desk… on the other side of that graduation stage.
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
My twitter account is for entertainment purposes, which consists of everything from diet/exercise to deep analysis of True Blood, Hoarders, and recently, ridiculous movies on SyFy. lol. Yep, I tweet the most at night and on the weekends when I'm not out on the town or out of town. I usually don't tweet at all during the day. However, today, I've done a lot of retweeting regarding Troy Davis… I agree with all of your points. And you're right about the black families on sitcoms. I'd never thought about that before, but its true. I don't know any 2520 who watch television as a family. After dinner, they usually go their seperate ways…
My recent post My Love Is Like…
Definitely also doing a lot of Troy Davis retweeting. Especially since Twitter took down the #TooMuchDoubt TT. Never seen them do that before.
My recent post Word
I haven't been on since this morning, have the replace the TT? Why would they remove it in the first place? smh.
My recent post My Love Is Like…
Nope it's still being kept off. #SideChickBirthdayGifts is number 2 worldwide and number 1 in New York but Troy Davis gets no e-love even though #TooMuchDoubt and #FreeTroyDavis are everwhere. Since when does Twitter promote censorship?!
My recent post Word
Nothing like twitter to spread word about a great cause. I know that i've been totally out of the loop and asked a question like, "Can someone tell me who Troy Davis is?" And then you get all the information to make informed decisions and actions.
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
Exactly. I think that's what I love most about twitter. There are times when all I do is RT pertinent information about issues affecting black folk.
Then, the sun goes down, and its pretty much all entertainment all the time. And don't let me be on twitter after 11pm. You'll probably catch me cursing out random people
who thought that travesty this weekend was actually a good fight!. Its all love, though. I'm all about spreading love and positivity on twitter. It can get pretty heavy there, sometimes…My recent post My Love Is Like…
I can't get into twitter at all. I've tried to commit to it…at least for my career pursuits…but…*sigh*…I just can't get the hang of it.
I'm the type with several great friends and few associates. I just don't yap it up with random people…not even about random impersonal things, lol. I find some of the trending topics funny. But, outside of that…*shrugs*…not my thing.
I prefer Facebook…and I'm not on their as much anymore. As with anything, the novelty wears off after a while. Facebook is a bit more personal and private to me (my page is pretty locked down, lol)…and most of the people I actually interact with are there instead of on Twitter. So, um…yeah, lol.
I liked facebook back in 04-06, before everybody joined. I joined Twitter in '08 and didn't care much for it, but I think I fell in love when they had a trending topic called #TebowsTears when Florida lost to Bama in the SEC championship (09 I think). I realized then that people around the country are funny as heck, and I laughed for days.
LOL! I think #ChrisBrownsBowTie did it for me back in 09…I laughed for at least 12 hours straight. Literally.
My recent post MikasThoughts: Why Do Black People Tweet So Much? http://t.co/4I57t3r3 via @SBMDotOrg cc: @DrJayJack
TebowTears and ChrisBrownsBowTie were winners. I'm a little more involved in #BlackTwitter than I care to admit so #ThePlate will always hold a special place in my heart. The sharing of pics on [Breast] Tuesday and Thong Thursday among the fellas is always welcomed. Not to mention the general sharing of pics period. There are some truly fine women in the world that I would have never known about if it wasnt for Twitter, #GodIsGood.
Curse @DrJayJack for introducing me to @iluvsuelyn though. RUINED. MY. LIFE, bro.
Currently, as anyone following me knows, I'm a fan of the mantra:
"Dont [insert random stupid qualification here] my queen, bro….I'm serious." For some reason a clever line/Tweet is never not funny to me, which is why Twitter is mostly entertainment for me with a side of business.
My recent post Maybe I Should Have Called Her
With trending topics, I think they are a sign of Black Twitter, so I rarely participate, but when I do, I tend to go in. I can actually count when i've done that though. It's maybe 2-3 times a year and only when I feel like I could do better than what's already said.
My recent post My First Blog (The Final post on The Book of Jackson)
I still HATE the term Black Twitter, smh
My recent post Is Nicolas Cage Immortal?! Check these pics
THis post was good.
I like twitter because I like to interact with people, and its one of the best aggregates of all types of news out there. I love how twitter has enhanced the viewing experience of TV. I also love interacting with readers of my blog and other bloggers/entertainers/celebs. Its cool to me.
Ill never use social media or anything else to blame for blacks shortcomings, because if you dont look in the mirror first, you'll forever be lost
My recent post Is Nicolas Cage Immortal?! Check these pics
Cute and funny post…lol
I think everybody is tweeting nowadays cause it's the latest craze and trend.
Personally I don't tweet at all….facebook is more than enough and I even limit that. Refuse to let too much of my life revolve around stuff done/said/typed online.
This was a good post. I think about Twitter, and social media in general, but this made me stop and analyze it as an "underground railroad" 🙂
I definitely relate to #2: "So while you’re sitting in a meeting that makes no sense you can draft a quick tweet, “This man got one more time to come out his face talking to me … watch.” " I specifically take my work BB just for that reason. I can surf twitter while people drone on and on about mundane details or I can vent about the idiots that question my intelligence. It definitely makes it easier to smile in their face after I've vented on twitter.
In addition I like the point in #4: "We have always been looking for ways to show a unified front in society." I can definitely thank social media as a whole for this, but specifically twitter and the fact that your tweets can be your FB status etc… That's crazy!
I also think twitter is great for capturing a moment in time or an emotion succinctly and creatively… I mean honestly you only have 140 characters so you really have to get it together if you're going to broadcast it.
I also enjoy following people that I've admired from afar. There have definitely been times when a celebrity (Anthony Hamilton, Kimora Lee) or bloggers (SBM group) that have tweeted me and I just got all excited because for an instant two distinct circles collided … and it's a notice. Who doesn't want to be noticed? lol
Lastly, I like how tweeters reveal themselves of twitter… it's like twitter makes you more human. I don't really have an expanded theory on this… but it was a thought.
My recent post Fool for you
I recently hopped on twitter late last year I think. The original purpose was just to follow some news stuff, current events, websites…maybe a couple celebs and some friends. Figured I wouldn't really tweet that much at all. I really got into it, though, during sporting events and the awards show which make the interactive element of the game/show so much better.
Some of the trending topics are just plain wrong, lol…but they are comedy. Some of the people I follow that write about their comedic life experiences always keeps me laughing.
Oh, and Jay Bilas is by far the funniest celb on twitter I follow..dropping Young Jeezy lines left and right and clowning his followers with his dry, sarcatic humor.
As a teacher, I am fully aware of the new black twitter culture. the problem I have is these silly students putting there whereabouts and personal information everywhere. I follow a few celebs to laugh here and there, but barely go on twitter.
because most of them have no life and they LOVE to gossip. they're also very nosy and in other peoples' business.
twitter is perfect for typical black people who can't think of anything else to do in their spare time.