I may be a recent convert, but I have fallen hard for Twitter. What started as a way to share this blog with people has turned into a fountain of knowledge for me. Most of this knowledge is admittedly useless, like how Aiden Grimshaw has an album coming out soon (ok I was quite excited about that one) or that people think it's hilarious pretending celebrities are dead. Nonetheless, I do believe that following Venezuelan authors will give me insights for my research (even if 90% of tweets are along the lines of 'Boo, Chávez'), that following people like @femfreq and @openculture is expanding my mind, and that following local theatres and cultural centres is keeping me much more in touch with the artistic community here.
However, watching Being Human last night, I couldn't believe how warped the idea of Twitter and its uses has become. As the programme started, #beinghuman was displayed across the screen and at the end the announcer had to read out things like "O.M.G. Russell Tovey" and "Noooo Nina". I felt genuinely embarrassed for him. I noticed the same thing with Come Dine With Me. What is the world coming to?
I understand that the logic behind TV's Twitter obsession is that if you read out people's comments they will feel like they're famous for five minutes, creating a desire to keep watching the programme. But surely if you're watching something like Being Human it's because you're interested in the characters and the plot, not whether you'll get to be mentioned on TV?
I know I'm just as guilty as anyone of tweeting the odd pointless comment when I'm bored/overexcited, but if I post inane drivel people can chose to follow it or not. If they don't follow me, they don't have to read it. So unless I'm following the person who thinks Russell Tovey is the best actor EVA, please don't make me listen to it over the credits.
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