In 2006, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey launched the social network’s first tweet.
In the decade since, Twitter has given way to social movements like the Arab Spring and
Occupy Wall Street.
The site has been embraced by 2016 presidential candidates, as well as world leaders, celebrities
and even the Pope.
With this in mind, we wanted to know, just how powerful is Twitter?
Well, when Twitter hit the web, the founders set a mandate for brevity.
Tweets can not exceed 140 characters, and users can group ideas with hashtags.
This gave the social network a unique identity, separate from competitors.
Twitter quickly became a gateway between companies and consumers.
At its peak in 2013, the company was worth more than $30 billion dollars.
However due to slowing user growth and revenue loss, its worth has plummeted to about $10
billion.
Still, the platform boasts more than 300 million active users, which is roughly equal to the
population of the United States.
And even after massive layoffs in 2015, the company still employs nearly four thousand
people all around the world.
But despite their dwindling power as a business, Twitter is still a driving force in politics
and the media.
In the political world, the platform took off in 2008, as a campaign tool for Barack
Obama.
Seeing the success of his presidential run, conservatives took to social media as well.
In 2009, the newly formed Tea Party Movement broadened their influence by reaching out
to followers through their Twitter page, rather than through mailers or leaflets
Today, Twitter is not just a niche tool for politicians, it's an essential part of their
reality.
In the 2016 presidential race, Front runner Donald Trump is by far more active on Twitter
than any of his opponents.
His so-called mastery of the platform has been linked to his campaign’s success.
Trump could be taking notes from Obama’s strategy during 2012 election, as he out-tweeted
his rival, Mitt Romney, eight times over.
When Obama coined the term “Romnesia” to illustrate his opponent’s inconsistent
political stances, the hashtag took off on Twitter.
The critique of Romney was lauded as one of the key causes of his loss.
But perhaps Twitter’s greatest power is its ability to organize and unite people for
a common cause.
This was demonstrated in 2011, when Egyptians took to the streets to rally against their
long-running president, (HOHS-nee moo-BAH-rahk) Hosni Mubarak . During the week before Mubarak’s
resignation, tweets about Egypt ballooned from just over two thousand a day to nearly
a quarter-million.
This inspired Twitter-organized protests in Turkey, Libya and Ukraine, a string of events
known as the Twitter Revolution.
Experts say internal communication through social media was essential to these popular
uprisings, as media outlets were often controlled by oppressive governments.
But despite its overwhelming use as a force of good, Twitter is also a promotional tool
for terrorist groups like ISIS.
In an effort to condemn such behavior, the company has shut down more than 125,000 accounts
with pro-terrorism rhetoric The move was applauded by the Obama Administration, who has pushed
for more government collaboration with social media sites.
So just how powerful is Twitter?
Well, with its popularity among corporations, politicians, and activists there’s no denying
the social network's widespread reach.
But Twitter’s real power may lie in its ability to get the world to embrace brevity.