(Facebook 2) It carries over into everyday life and even school work. This is the direction a majority of avid twitter users and other social networkers are going. The obsessive affect that twitter has on students can distract them from completing homework and projects. When bored, it's easy for a teen to go to twitter and entertain themselves (some for hours) while they could be using that time to do something productive. Twitter almost encourages a user to substitute this social phenomenon for homework and other things that should be made a priority. "40% of 8 to 18 year olds spend 54 minutes a day on social media sites When alerted to a new social networking site activity, like a new tweet or Facebook message, users take 20 to 25 minutes on average to return to the original task." It's addicting, spending 20-25 minutes at a time on twitter adds up fast. It's an extremely addictive behavior and before one knows it ones whole day was wasted on it.
The uses of Twitter are not all destructive. It keeps long distance camaraderie intact by updating/posting pictures and status' (tweets). One can see what a friend or family member has been up to, how they're doing and anything interesting that's happened to them all through one website. The best part being it only takes seconds. Not only can one keep long distance relationships going with their friends and family but also meet people with similar interests. Say a user "retweets" or reposts, something another user tweeted about a favorite sports team; that person already has something in common with them without even talking to them. All it takes is a few clicks of a button to create a new friendship. Twitter users can create a profile that lists interests and it is available to other users. Twitter is a great way to meet new people, especially if you're too shy to in person. Not everyone has a crazy outgoing personality that makes creating friendships easily.