How Miley Made Me Rethink My Personal Twitter Account
Posted by anastasia on 10-12-2009
I know I’ve been critical of some of Miley’s choices (or her father’s/management’s) in the past, but I respect her decision to cancel her Twitter account. Whether her new boyfriend “influenced” her or not and in spite of her dad’s creepy Tweets asking her to reconsider. Her rap may have been silly, but contrary to E! Online, I don’t think the additional message on her site to fans overdid it. I actually thought her point about not wanting to Tweet her pimples was pretty insightful. As our friends at @360KID noted, Miley realized she was a “meformer,” not an “informer.” Though unfortunately, with celebrities, I think fans demand more “me” than information. It’s a way for them to feel like Miley has pimples, just like I do! But it’s also fodder for bloggers, tabloids and other celebrity press to dissect each admission or accusation or any other impulsive string of 140 characters celebs decide to put out there.
There are ways the brand Miley Cyrus can maintain a Twitter presence with updates on her concerts, and some carefully chosen tweets that help her remain accessible without being too open or exposed. And I don’t know why anyone in her camp hasn’t stepped up to manage this process for her. Unless you are someone who is completely comfortable sharing TMI online, someone who is exceptionally witty or talented at writing in soundbites or someone who is using Twitter to build or expand your personal network for work, actively Tweeting can be both awkward and even perilous. I’ve read super personal Tweets that have made me cringe, seen professionals flame each other like teenagers and marveled at the sheer volume at which some people find time to Tweet. It’s as if we’ve all regressed to the adolescent need to perform for an invisible audience of followers (some we know, some we don’t).
As a blogger, I clearly get the value of Twitter for unearthing trends and links (though I curse having yet another stream to have to wade through – yes, I know there are tools to make it easier, but it’s still one more input). I love being able to expand the Ypulse brand on Twitter both driving new folks to our site and offering followers a steady stream of [hopefully] informative links about youth culture. But as for my personal Twitter account, I just feel like it’s never flowed or felt natural for me. I would rather share links under the Ypulse brand with the natural boundaries Tweeting on behalf of your brand imposes than share my “deep thoughts” or mundane activities. I can’t tell you how many times I started to Tweet something and then just backspaced after thinking, “Who cares?” I’ve had my account for awhile now, and it still just doesn’t flow for me. I’m much more comfortable sharing personal updates on Facebook where at least a good chunk of my friends are people I actually know vs. strangers. Yet as a somewhat public person in the tech/media/marketing space, I have felt like I have to have a personal Twitter account too. The Miley story has inspired me to rethink this — maybe I don’t need my personal account (and just Tweeting under the Ypulse brand is plenty) or maybe I can just join the majority of silent followers who occasionally converse with contacts there or Tweet only when it’s something really, really worth Tweeting.
I apologize if this post rambled, but I would love to hear Ypulse readers’ thought on Twitter, personal vs. brand, what the boundaries are and whether celebs have to fully Tweet themselves in order to be authentic or whether there is a more controlled way for them to have a presence that is informative with just enough occasional, actual-yet-controlled Tweets from the celeb to be authentic….
For more coverage of the tween space, check out the Ypulse Tween Channel.
Categorized under: Tweens, Web
October 12th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Hi Anastasia. I wanted to add that I think there’s a lesson in there for all of us about practicing self-awareness in online public spaces. Whether you’re a brand or an individual, a teen or a high level exec, it’s important to recognize that these tweets/posts/wall-to-wall exchanges are on record for anyone to see. So, while for Miley, the act of holding her tongue (or tweet), might mean avoiding becoming this week’s gossip in US Weekly, for teens or college students or even med students as we recently found out, staying quiet (or just practicing forethought) could mean saving your reputation in the eyes of a professor, dean or anyone else in a position of authority. Just some more food for thought.