Post-B2 Lecture Rant on "New Media"

I'm all for advancing good storytelling through all forms of media - be they broadcast, radio, internet, and social networking. But I have a beef with Twitter. It's one thing to use Facebook to share your "status", personal info, pictures, etc to relevant friends or acquantences. But Twitter is essentially a worthless text tool for people whose attention spans require them to check their cell phones every 3 minutes and send a text saying @BRIAN "I'm sitting on the toilet!" or @BRIAN "I JUST DRANK A GLASS OF WATER!!"

What's the purpose of referring to yourself as @___?


I might be stuck in 2004 when the mainstream Verizon cell phone didn't have all these newfangled goodies like nationwide internet access, touch screens, and applications. I refuse to get a Blackberry and I regret the 2 weeks I spent with an Iphone over the summer of 08. To me, there's a distinct personal line that comes with a cell phone, and I don't enjoy sharing my every move with other people. Maybe I'll be forced to get a Twitter account - I won't welcome it, I won't enjoy it, and I certainly don't look forward to it. But at the end of the day, it's part of the "new media" and I accept that some find it useful.