People who have been on Twitter long enough have learned a unique language — the inside jokes and memes of the chronically online. “You’re telling me a shrimp fried this rice?” Do the words “bean dad” or “30 – 50 feral hogs” ring any bells? Can you or can you not survive scrolling for five minutes through the replies of a PopCrave post?
Social media has shifted from its exciting beginnings and Twitter is no exception. What was initially pitched as a fun micro-blogging platform became one of the most timely digital forums; now, following what appears to be a soft launch of a rebrand to “X” that began over the weekend, it looks like Twitter is moving into its next stage, perhaps without the bird logo.
Over the years, Twitter became the place for breaking news, the best awards show reactions, and something of a replacement for water cooler talk. It was where a television show could generate word-of-mouth buzz and become a sleeper hit, and comedians and creatives could generate a following in a new, more individualized way. It was here that fandom took on a new form, too — MySpace was dead, and people could connect over a mutual love for an artist or act by keeping tabs on a hashtag and sliding into the DMs of another impassioned poster.
Consider the idea of “updates accounts,” where fans of artists like Harry Styles or Taylor Swift can keep listeners in the loop on anything from album release numbers to studio collaborator buzz. “Fan cam” creators pioneered the idea of pulling in potential new fans by highlighting their favorite act’s best moments onstage, with some racking up millions of views throughout the years.
.@Harry_Styles has now sold over 1 million total album units in the US in 2023. pic.twitter.com/lq9GvQlXEi
— chart data (@chartdata) June 15, 2023