Introduction: Twitter Shaping Self and Character
“I Tweet, Therefore, I Am” by Peggy Orenstein illustrates unprecedented and explosive influence of Twitter shaping self and character. Orenstein asserts that Twitter has become a pervasive trend in our lives, serving as a platform for expressing our thoughts, beliefs, actions, or even inaction. Alongside other social media platforms like Facebook and MySpace, Twitter has seamlessly integrated itself into the fabric of our daily existence, leaving no aspect of our lives untouched by the practice of crafting tweets. It appears that our entire realm of privacy has condensed into 140 characters, accompanied by various symbols and signs.
The use of social media platforms introduces both major and minor, negative and positive aspects into our lives, forming an integral part of our daily experiences. Despite Facebook’s broader reach, Twitter stands out as a more popular and influential medium, particularly in encouraging the expression of private thoughts in written form. Twitter, according to Orenstein, not only molds our identities but also lays bare our selves, fostering self-expression and self-promotion in the process.
Identities and How Twitter Shaping Self and Character
With the advent of Twitter, our awareness of both our identities and our surroundings has heightened. Orenstein explicitly communicates this shift from conventional attention to a tweet-worthy moment in the introduction of her article. Previously, she might have given her full attention to her daughter listening to “The Trumpet of the Swan,” but now she views the experience as “the perfect opportunity for a tweet” when the grass tickles their ankles (Orenstein). This transformation underscores the pervasive influence of Twitter on our daily lives.
As an author, Orenstein acknowledges the evolving landscape, where even her publisher requests tweets about her new book. This constant engagement with Twitter has become so ingrained that Orenstein admits to learning how to be “on” all the time, blurring the lines between whether Twitter is shaping her or she is shaping her “Twitter feed” (Orenstein). This contemplation leads her to question how she allocates her time, framing it as an expansion of our “digital universe” (Orenstein).
Orenstein contends that Twitter has not only altered our time-spending habits but has also transformed how we construct our identities. The platform serves as a medium through which individuals express their thoughts, actions, preferences, likes, dislikes, loves, and hates. The constructed identity is then propagated to friends and followers, forming a digital extension of oneself. Orenstein personally exemplifies this by sharing her Arabic heritage proudly with her connected audience.
Twitter Shaping Self and Character
Furthermore, Twitter serves as a platform that exposes our true selves. Orenstein, referring to MIT professor Sherry Turkle, highlights the notion that individuals engage on Twitter to craft a version of themselves for others to consume and interpret—a form of performance aimed at revealing their authentic identity. This performance, or outward expression, is confined to the limitations of 140 characters, leading Turkle to describe Twitter as “outer-directedness cubed” (qtd. Orenstein). The implication is that individuals project their selves outward but through a narrow channel, restricted by the concise nature of the platform.
Despite the constraint of characters, Twitter users retain control over what they reveal, presenting a curated version of themselves to the world. This curated identity, expressed within the confines of tweets, becomes a form of true performance, offering insights into one’s genuine thoughts and perspectives. The immediacy of sharing thoughts, as Orenstein notes, aligns with the idea that we tweet whatever we see, providing an authentic glimpse into our true selves—a facet that may remain concealed in face-to-face interactions.
However, this exposure of the self can sometimes lead to self-consciousness or a guarded approach. Orenstein alludes to this sentiment when she playfully remarks, “I will resist the urge to trumpet about the swan,” suggesting a conscious decision to withhold certain aspects of her true self. This hesitation to expose every detail echoes a common experience, as individuals often grapple with the balance between authenticity and privacy on social media platforms.
Your personal experience of editing and removing posts from your Facebook account to conceal your true self resonates with the challenges of managing the public and private dimensions of online identity. The dilemma you faced, triggered by a friend revealing private information, underscores the delicate dance between self-expression and the desire to maintain a level of privacy in the digital realm.
Opportunities of How Twitter Shaping Self and Character
Twitter, from another perspective, serves as a platform for both self-expression and self-promotion. In various ways, individuals strive to articulate their true selves while simultaneously projecting an image of what they aspire to be. Despite concerted efforts to control our digital personas, the inherently open nature of Twitter often reveals reflections and intimacies that we might otherwise attempt to conceal. Yet, embedded within this “performance culture” (Orenstein) lies a certain allure—what she describes as “its infinite potential for connection, as well as the opportunity for self-expression” (Orenstein)—which is essentially a form of self-promotion.
Orenstein references a University of Michigan study, noting that although Twitter has not explicitly encouraged self-promotion over self-awareness, individuals have naturally gravitated towards showcasing their achievements even in the midst of their busy lives (Orenstein). This inclination toward self-promotion is a testament to the platform’s capacity to allow users to craft and project their desired image.
Reflecting on personal experiences, even your own standout tweets often revolve around personal accomplishments, positive moments, and joyous family celebrations—a clear illustration of self-promotion. This aligns with the broader trend observed on Twitter, where individuals seize the opportunity to highlight their achievements and positive aspects of their lives, contributing to the overall ethos of self-promotion within the platform’s culture.
Conclusion: Twitter Shaping Self and Character
In short, Orenstein masterfully integrates research, facts, and statistics to underscore her argument that emerging media platforms, such as Twitter, have not only transformed our habits and communication styles but have also reshaped our self-perception. While these channels propel us towards greater openness, exposure, and authenticity, they simultaneously present the challenge of inadvertently revealing more than intended. Orenstein aptly cautions against indiscriminate sharing, urging restraint in certain instances, as highlighted by her metaphorical advice to resist the urge to “trumpet about the swan” (Orenstein). This metaphor underscores the importance of discretion, suggesting that some aspects of our lives are best kept private rather than being flaunted on the public stage. Ultimately, the evolving landscape of social media demands a delicate balance between self-expression and preserving the sanctity of personal boundaries.
Works Cited: Twitter Shaping Self and Character
- Orenstein, Peggy. “I Tweet, Therefore, I Am.”30 July 2010. Web. 05 Dec. 2023.
Relevant Questions: Twitter Shaping Self and Charac
- How does Peggy Orenstein, in her article “I Tweet, Therefore, I Am,” strategically employ rhetorical devices to explore the influence of Twitter on shaping individual identity and character, and are there specific instances where these devices enhance her message regarding the impact of social media?
- Within the context of Orenstein’s article, how does she strategically integrate ethos, logos, and pathos to establish credibility, logical reasoning, and emotional appeal in her examination of Twitter’s role in shaping one’s sense of self and character?
- Can you identify any rhetorical strategies, such as the use of anecdotes, metaphors, or tone, that Orenstein utilizes in “I Tweet, Therefore, I Am” to underscore the cultural and personal implications of Twitter on self-perception and character development, and how do these strategies contribute to the overall rhetorical effectiveness of her argument?
