I’m Not Normal?
by Richard Clark
3 March 2009
1,310 views
3 Comments
Evan Williams Predicts That “Normal People” Will Use Twitter In Five Years .
I agree. Twitter, like blogger and television and video games and film and the printing press, gets a bad rap not only because it’s new, but because it’s created in response to various cultural trademarks: short attention spans, a desire for connection no matter how, a craving for constant streams of information. While Twitter succeeds because of these things, it can also be used successfully by Christians who leverage its benefits rather than succumbing to its dangers.
It’s not a matter of percentages. Once the raw number of people who use twitter beneficially increases, so will the number of normal people who accept it as a useful tool. We saw a similar trend with blogging.
(ht: Collide)
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Ooh, gotta disagree with you. Of course, I suppose you have to define “normal” people in this as I know loads of “normal” people that either don’t have a blog, don’t regularly read blogs, or can even pronounce the word correctly (one calls what I have a “bog”)/define what a blog is. Most of those are over 40, but I can think of several under 20–and they have email, mobile phone, text, use computers, etc.
So, if there’s a lot of people still clueless about blogs, I can tell you the same people I know haven’t a clue about Twitter. Will Twitter become normal for certain segments of the populous? Certainly, and especially as you referred to Christians who can leverage the benefits. However, there are churches today that don’t have websites, or a blog, or email blasts, or text announcements. I can’t imagine working without those tools, yet they still continue on.
C. Hollands last blog post..This Is What It’s All About
I think what Evan (and certainly what I) was getting at is that Twitter won’t be considered abnormal. No one’s claiming that every normal person, or even most normal people, will be using twitter. But like blogging, you will be able to mention that you twitter without getting weird faces from people as if they just smelled something gross.
But yeah, three cheers for churches who rightly DON’T use those things. Especially “email blasts.” When the people in your church couldn’t care less, it’s good not to force it. But we’re talking mainly about rural churches now, and while I think those areas are just as valid and probably a bit more important to think through culturally (maybe we should hire a “rural culture” writer?), they are also the exception for the most part.
Absolutely, I agree about people eventually knowing what Twitter is–when a specific use comes up in the public (read: non-techie) arena. Just as blogging originally was for the most part a public diary of banality (“cat blogs” per Seth Godin), it has certainly turned into something more useful by facilitating niche dialogues, such as this site. I am hopeful that Twitter can finds its similar way.
It may be mostly rural churches that don’t use technology, but I do know several in large American cities that don’t–BUT they are small and average age of the congregation is over 55. I think there’s an unspoken age cut-off on groups who want to use/care about technology. And I’m very sure there are exceptions to all of this.
For what it’s worth, evangelical churches over here in Western Europe are in 1982. Even the handful that have a website or who text others don’t use it very well. I really don’t think any Christians have heard of Twitter, and pastors over here don’t usually keep blogs (unless they’re American). The people have embraced technology in other parts of their lives, but there are churches just now getting a projector, a website, etc.
C. Hollands last blog post..This Is What It’s All About
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