2 Types of Twitter Addicts: Why You Should Quit
To put it simply, addiction is a habit that you find impossible to quit despite the danger it poses. You might ask, is Twitter addictive? Yes. Is it dangerous? Also, yes. If you tweet a lot, beware. There are a lot of Twitter addict variations. But, there are two types that are most common.
Read well, because you might just realize you are a Twitter addict. And, this is why you should quit.
Twitter Addict #1: The Oversharer
It is a usual occurrence on Twitter that you see friends and strangers alike oversharing their thoughts and opinions on the app. After all, it is a platform used to do just that. As long as you keep your tweets within the character limits of 280, then you’re good to go. Twitter might be appealing to people who like to overshare because there are no boundaries when it comes to sharing. Problems at school? Sure. Work pressure? Great. Family issue? Mm-hmm.
The app gives its users an avenue to rant non-stop. And, so they don’t. It is a very addicting routine because the users develop the urge to post constant updates about their personal lives. Where they are, what they are doing, the food they are eating, and so on. Given the fact that it is very dangerous to share personal anecdotes on the Internet because there are creeps out there, it also makes for a behavior that is dependent on microblogging.
Twitter in its most raw form, encourages people to microblog by sharing information with one another. But in this case, most Oversharers tend to, well, overshare without needing other people’s input. Basically, a modern-based diary, except there’s a catch; people can invade your most vulnerable thoughts.
Twitter Addict #2: The Attention Seeker
I mean, who does not like attention, right? A lot of people who are addicted to Twitter get a lot of traction. They are the users who go viral because their tweets are too relatable that their thoughts garner thousands of likes and retweets. This is a dangerous ground to step into because once you get a taste of clout, it is hard to go back from that. The validation from other people on the Internet gets too overwhelmingly good and addicting that you just can’t stop doing it.
Every day you think of some short but impactful tweet that you think will resonate with other people because your goal of the day is to become viral on Twitter. Again. Like every other day. You feel this pressure that if you lose your streak, then everything will fall apart. You feel a responsibility to never disappoint your followers. You have to always be witty and quirky. And you have to prove that in 280 characters or less. It is a constant challenge that will drain you out eventually. It will come to a point where you realize that you have been dependent on other people’s validation.
Better Quit Right Now
Twitter is not inherently bad, but it does have the potential to be. Use it as casually as you can. But if you notice the signs of being a Twitter addict, you should now quit. It will get worse in the long run. You are thinking, “It’s fine, it’s social media, everyone uses it, what’s the harm?” Until one day you wake up and the first thing you do is pick up your phone and go to Twitter and scroll and type and tweet and suddenly it’s time for dinner.
It is as good advice as any: be cautious when using Twitter. It is a dark place if you let it become one. A black hole if you may. Make sure you avoid getting consumed by it.
