Twaddle

Twaddle or Twitter ? -  So much talk! The fact that someone needs an account to get information from Twitter might in some cases be a deterrent. As mentioned in our 23 Things, there is the possibility of catching the last news item that hasn’t yet reached the UP’s yet.  For some patrons it is a good source of hiding behind the screen type of having their say. I'll admit it does have it's uses. It's quiet, and can grab people's attention for hours. Hey, where was this when my children were growing up! No, seriously, after searching for someone to follow, I located Holly Black whose books can fill my world for hours. And while looking for a emerging event...I have to say I got side tracked by Simon and Schuster's offer of free reads on PulseItBooks.com but I will go back to see the other messages my search found on teen books.

Facebook - First there was MySpace and now Facebook. My Mom always said children should be heard and not seen. Or was it the other way around? In any case, there are a number of my friends and family who choose to use Facebook to keep in touch and so I have an account. I just don’t use it so often. Facebook is a little easier for me to handle as it isn’t a blow by blow account of someone’s day. It’s the business’ that have accounts that I believe could offer the most useful information to our patrons.

In addition, from my perspective, I believe teens need to practice socialization skills and both Twitter and Facebook can allow this to happen. My only concern is we still haven’t learned to talk nice to others nor have we gained the ability to stop and think before we speak. Still, would I recommend them? Yes. Patrons need to make their own decisions and in many cases they may well find some uses for these social networks that escape me.