I just read a disturbing article about how people are using Twitter to "tweckle" (heckle) key note speakers during a conference. It reminds me of the articles I have recently where couples are at the altar about to make a life time committment to love one another and the ceremony is interrupted by one or both of them whipping out their smart phones to tweet about the event. I find myself sitting here thinking "are people really doing this?" Apparently people are doing this and I find myself wondering if we might be taking this to an absurd level. When I spoke to my wife about this she told me "I could see you doing this". I told my wife absolutely not. I believe that there is a time and place for technology and at the altar is not it. I understand that we want to share those special moments in life with our loved ones. That is why invitations are sent out well in advance so that those folks that can make it to the event to share it with us first hand can do so. The other folks who did not come or could not come will have to watch the video afterwards or look at the picture album.
I think that it is sad that people would use Twitter to take pot shots at folks who are holding a speaking engagement. I understand that people have expectations of what they will experience at a public event. I also believe that we should hold ourselves to a higher standard and perhaps extend a certain amount of flexibility and civility towards those who are trying to provide the message. I am thinking that if we are at a public event and we are there to listen to what someone is saying then using a cell phone to have a verbal conversation or to type out messages to our friends can be viewed as distracting and somewhat rude. If the shoe were on the other foot and we were trying to engage the audience in the content of our message and all we see is people who are not paying attention because they are too busy tweeting (tweckling) how would we feel? I am thinking that we would hope that people would put away the electronic gizmos and pay better attention to what is being presented.
I believe that with the advancement of technology and the ability to publish what we want when we want comes a new level of responsibility. The spoken word no matter how it is published is very powerful. I believe that we are should be responsible and accountable for what we say. What we say can encourage or discourage others. Our words can either build up people or tear them down. What we say can leave a lasting impression on others. Once the words are spoken or written down they are there and you can never take them back. We need to train ourselves to try and find the good in people and situations instead of always finding the areas where people are lacking. I am hoping that we can find a healthier balance the next time we feel like using our blogs or twitter to take a shot at someone.
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1 comment:
I agree with you. One of the problems with Twitter too is that by using it in the ways that you mention, it is hard to have any real discourse. For instance, if I were to be giving a presentation on a particular theological topic, "tweets" that might be critical would not have the length to become a sufficient rebuttal of that position. Instead of writing coherent articles like you have done here, we are reducing our critical thinking skills to 140 characters and sniping.
I believe Twitter is useful, but not to post critical thoughts in a manner to really influence the conversations and debates on many topics.
Just like in software engineering or IT, choosing the right tool is very important. Otherwise, the tools may not accomplish what you are looking to do. Those who use Twitter irresponsibly are not going to achieve real traction in the marketplace of ideas. Thanks for your post.
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