'Tweets' a new, fun way to keep in touch

Twittering sounds like a nervous habit that people have when awaiting an exam or other foreboding event. In fact, Twittering is just another form of offering up yet more personal information in the vast blogosphere. Certain famous people use Twitter to allow drooling fans to have some insight into their personal lives, while others use it to liveblog about sporting events, concerts or other exciting happenings. Then there are those of us, myself included, who are just curious and signed up to simply see what all the fuss is about.

Generally, I am opposed to delving so far into technology that it can potentially obstruct real social relationships. Your Facebook friends may not de-friend you, but your real friends might if you don't unglue your fingers from the keyboard of your BlackBerry and make some eye contact.

That is certainly a downside to being perpetually connected. When one of your friends asks where you want to go to dinner and you reply, "yeah, wow, I can't believe your boyfriend did that again," - or worse, you don't respond at all - you may have a problem.

However, blogging is like anything else in life - it is fine in moderation, but it can be done too much and too often. Those who can blog responsibly should do so. After all, it is human nature to be curious about others and want to reach out to them. Social networking sites and blogs are a great way to do that. Humans are social creatures, so even if you joined Twitter because it piqued your interest, you may find yourself following people you otherwise wouldn't: curious what Hasheem Thabeet is up to? Check out his updates on Twitter.

It's time to jump on the bandwagon. Social networking sites and blogs are generally very user-friendly and they can be very valuable tools. Now, Twitter is on Facebook, so your friends can read your liveblog about the Final Four en route to looking at their friend's spring break pictures.

When done responsibly, blogging can keep people connected while away rather than pulling people apart. Unfortunately, people tend to turn to blogs for some news more than newspapers. Blogs are mostly beneficial for finding out about casual news that one may not find in their local paper, reading about events while they are happening or maybe even killing time before class. Either way, sites like Twitter are taking the world by storm and there is really no reason not to join the crowd and start Tweeting.

Blogs may introduce a new side of the internet to those who aren't from Generation Y. Parents of college-age students may discover that they can chat with other adults and receive information about things that interest them.

It can also enhance a person's life. There is a distinct difference between reading about a Rodin exhibit at a museum and discussing the exhibit with someone standing next to it in Paris or reading what they say about the description and feeling of the exhibit. The information that you are reading is someone's opinion but you usually won't have to worry about that person having any kind of agenda, unless of course he is affiliated with whatever topic he is discussing. Otherwise, you get to read frank information that is informal and interesting.

This is not to say that reading a blog about something is better than reading a column or a news story about it. First of all, that would put me out of a job, and second of all, it is like comparing apples and oranges. They are two very different outlets of information. Blogging should not devalue journalism or attempt to replace it. They are both very valuable in their own ways.

But as far as casual chatting goes, blogging is a very useful outlet. It has the same effect as Facebook or Friendster and allows people to find others that they have something profound in common with. If you are interested in anything from sports to cooking to anime, you can find a blog about it. If there isn't one, grow some virtual wings and turn yourself into another one of the techno-birds in the blogosphere and start Tweeting.