Does Twitter Help Your Relationship Or Harm It?

The popularity of Twitter is twinkling some eyes, while tweaking anger in others.  If you don’t Twitter, you’re painfully uncool- just take a look at the Twitterati.  Twitter can be addictive, fun and give you connections.  But can it affect your relationship?  The good and bad news for romance:  the Twitter singles scene is the new hot spot and already makes claims on success rates.  On the other hand, with Twitter there’s a new, faster way to be cheated on by your tweetheart.

Naysayers call it ‘blogging on amphetamines,’ but there are some benefits.  Staying in touch with and meeting people seems to rank highest on the list.  In other words, you’re never alone nor are you lonely.  While a lot of social sites are good for daily contact, Twitter is minute-by-minute.  For relationships, it’s a way to spend consistent time with your love when you’re apart.  With a new romance, it’s similar to speed dating, but sped up.  In business, those that Twitter have an edge on those who don’t.  Bloggers report an increase in visits, since the Twitter messages are so short,  leaving readers curious for more information.

There are many advocates for Twitter, but the drawbacks are plenty.  Yes, you might actually stay in touch with your family on a more regular basis, but you can also find yourself suffering from cravings or depression if no one contacts you.  Twitter addiction could destroy your relationship.  Look at Jen Aniston and Jon Mayer.  How romantic, going on a date with someone who’s describing their feelings to the world, instead of telling the person across from them.  That lack of personal connection increases the chances of a break-up.

How is this affecting communication?  Compiling all of your thoughts into 140 symbols, every time you think, is good for self-expression.  Sacrificing your realities, however, into sound-bytes isn’t.  As if we weren’t dumbed down enough by abbreviations and lack of real contact, we have less space and time.  There’s also the fact that social networking sites were already hotbeds for opening the cheating door.  Twitter doubles the speed, doubles the fun.  It allows for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it transgression.  And don’t forget that the details can be publicized after, to entire communities of people.  Quadrupled humiliation in a fraction of a moment.

Twitter might be the little black dress of gadgetry at the moment, but it won’t be long before someone comes up with even shorter, faster communication.  Perhaps one day soon it’ll be the freshest, hottest trend to just send electronic grunts, reverting back to caveman speech.  Via technology.