Twitter is a medium popularly patronized by all categories of people especially celebrities, politicians, marketers, academics as well as other members of the society. However, it can also be a very unwieldy space, and difficult to manage considering the sheer amount of data that tumbles into one’s account in microseconds.
Apart from trying to cope with the information overload, other issues an academic might struggle with as a Twitter user is that feeling of inadequacy, popularly known now as impostor syndrome, which makes the user feel inadequate and unqualified to engage actively in major Twitter activities like posting tweets, offering advice or contributing in some other ways.
Also, social media anxiety and addiction now referred to as FOMO https://rb.gy/ulwrf5 are other problematic experiences a social media user might experience. There have also been complaints about the toxic nature of most social media platforms including Twitter https://rb.gy/62gksx. Some users tend to be inconsiderate and downright rude to other users in the tone of their communication. These deter some other (more sensitive) users from using Twitter (or other media) actively to the extent that they become passive members of the community.
As an academic and researcher, these negative effects should not stand between you and a productive use of the Medium.
A poll that was conducted on Twitter just before the publishing of the post yielded the following result. (Thanks to all participants!) https://rb.gy/nrzqgu.
Indeed, Twitter users receive support from the Medium in a variety of ways. The infographics explain this further.
So, go ahead! Damn the anxiety and indecision, and make yourself visible, impactive and knowledgeable!
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