Tim Monzon

It's a wonderful night for the prom.

I have to admit, Adam and Aubrey’s photo session could’ve gone a lot better that day. I had to deal with a rapidly setting sun, chilly night winds, a raging school counselor, and only 10 minutes with them. We did what we could, and the photos came out alright. But I know if we had had more time, their photos could’ve been spectacular. Oh well, it happens. You can only roll with the punches.

If you live in Southern California, you might recall an earthquake hitting the area on Sunday night. It was interesting, because within seconds of the quake, hundreds of people (myself included) announced it on Twitter.

From breaking the news of the Hudson River Plane Crash, to organizing countrywide protests, Twitter has become somewhat of a revolution in itself. Breaking news is even more instant than ever before. News companies are struggling to keep up. A person who happens to be at the right place at the right time can become an instant news reporter with a single text from a phone. Depending on that person’s Twitter network, news can travel to literally millions within the span of a couple of minutes. It’s instant gratification to the extreme.

And Twitter isn’t just a valuable resource for news. Celebrities of every kind are using Twitter to not only gain new levels of popularity, but also get personal with the fans. From Shaq, to Ashton Kutcher, to president Obama himself, stars are getting to know and talk to their fanbase in a way never seen before. Want to know what your favorite celebrity is up to? Now you don’t have to go to the grocery store and buy a tabloid; the stars will tell you themselves. Whether they’re on a new set, getting ready for a game, eating dinner, or even something as mundane as reading or pooping, they’ll put it up, just like anyone else. It’s fascinating to see just how boring some celebrities lives can actually be.

Better than mindreading? Probably not, but getting there.

Then there’s the business side of things. Most southern Californians already know of the ridiculous success of the Kogi BBQ trucks. The secret to their success? Utilizing Twitter. Of course, the food is excellent too, but its the Twitter that keeps people in touch with the food truck service. Want to get people to find out about your service? Let your Twitter do the talking. Some companies are even using Twitter as a means of technical support and customer service. However, it can be as much of a risk as it is a benefit. Domino’s Pizza and Amazon.com both know this too well, with Twitter users retweeting the failure of both companies in their recent plights.

So what’s in store for the future of Twitter? Who knows. But like Myspace, Youtube, Facebook, and Google, the world wide web has felt its tremendous influence, and the internet landscape will never look the same.