Since the beginning, Twitter has been dismissed by people saying the “micro-blogging” site is simply a place for people to give a minute by minute update of their life.
8:03 a.m.-Running late for work. What’s with all the traffic??
8:07 a.m.-Scored front row parking! #blessed
8:15 a.m.- If you empty the coffee pot, start a new brew.
While there might be some validity to that statement, for most, Twitter has become so much more. Users have organized to topple governments, received up-to-the-minute breaking news updates, connected with their favorite celebrities, teams and brands. Plus, if you are looking for a good laugh, Twitter has that too.
With so many accounts out there, which should you be following to make your Twitter experience the best it possibly can be? Here are five that will help kickstart your timeline to make you want to constantly check back throughout the day.
Sawyer Fredericks. RT @Mediaite: Who Won NBC's The Voice?
— Saved You A Click (@SavedYouAClick) May 20, 2015
Click-baiting. You hate it. I hate it. That doesn’t mean I can stop myself from clicking to find out "what I just won’t believe." Want to find out what is hiding behind the headline without giving the site credit for crafting a tantalizing title and providing little substance to back it up? @SavedYouAClick is your go-to for getting all the information you need from the articles you hate yourself for clicking on. The account is so successful that a few outlets have blocked @SavedYouAClick so it won’t ruin their articles.
"I don't want a whole dessert, let's just get two spoons" - Former friends of mine.
— Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) February 12, 2015
Live-tweeting is half the fun of any major event these days and the reigning master of live-tweeting is Anna Kendrick. Not only does Kendrick have better cup/singing skills than you, she is also funnier than you. Don’t believe me? Follow her during the next “big” television event and you will get a taste of her quick wit that makes her a must-follow Twitter account.
NSA's metadata collection to end at midnight, even after Senate approved a key procedural motion. http://t.co/erjzGlPqQW
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) June 1, 2015
News flies fast and furious these days. Even with our 24-hour cable channels dedicated to covering every major story around the clock, I’ve found the best place to keep up with what is happening around the world is Twitter, and my account of choice is CNN Breaking News. @CNNbrk is great at giving the main points of news articles within the 140 character limit and they do it without being click-baity. Plus, they always provide a link to the full story. When breaking stories are unfolding rapidly, their Twitter account is being updated with information before it hits the CNN channel.
BONG BONG BONG
— Big Ben (@big_ben_clock) June 1, 2015
You’ve been scrolling through your timeline and your thumb is sore from liking and retweeting the best that Twitter has to offer. Suddenly you know what time it is from a single word, “BONG.” That time update was brought to you by the account @big_ben_clock. The sole purpose is to tweet out the time in the only manner a giant clock can: with consecutive “bongs”. Will @big_ben_clock save you from having to check the time? No. But, @big_ben_clock is your gateway account to a whole weird side of Twitter filled with a @SelfAwareROOMBA, a birdsrightsactivist (@ProBirdRights) and a whole slew of comedy writers that will have you laughing throughout the day.
Fake news link reports that all @TacoBell outlets in the U.S. will be closing on 1 June 2015: http://t.co/XRAqFR6E9F pic.twitter.com/s7jxwqCJyX
— snopes.com (@snopes) June 1, 2015
While the Internet is filled with awe-inspiring articles, photos, videos and stories, there are, unfortunately, people looking to fool others with fake articles, photos, videos and stories. If something you are looking at on the Internet seems outlandish, first check to see if it comes from a satirical site and then head over to @snopes. Snopes.com has been the place to go to find the validity for viral Internet content for years and thankfully they have a Twitter account dedicated to inform people if there is truth behind what they are seeing online. Unfortunately, a very needed part of the Internet.
When you head over to Twitter to start following these accounts, make sure to check out the suggested accounts that will pop up to give you even more ideas on who you should be following. What are your personal must-follow accounts that we need to know about?
