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Twitter: why the whole nation's in a flap

After years of snowballing interest, Twitter has finally nested in our hearts, with more people joining than ever before

Josie Cubie

theguardian.com, Monday 14 October 2013 12.42 BST

With PR Daily estimating that there are currently over 100 million people using Twitter on a regular basis, it would be fair to say that this social networking site plays a very important role in today's society.

Celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Ricky Gervais and the cast of hit reality TV show Made in Chelsea frequently post their opinions and thoughts online for fans to see, leading to a growth in site visitors – most of whom are keen to stay in the loop. Never has it been easier to “follow” your favourite stars, as they are now available at the click of a button.

Twitter’s snowballing popularity could also be largely due to its accessibility, as it is possible for anybody with access to the internet to create their own account and begin “tweeting”. K Bevan, from The Guardian, described the website as being “a collection of microblogs where people post their minute-by-minute thoughts and actions.” Supposedly, it is this instant flow of information and gratification that makes Twitter such a popular expressive forum.

The website even has its own identifiable language, the use of which can often be heard outside of the internet. “Hashtags”, “Trends”, and “Retweets” are spoken casually about, as though they have been a part of our lives for longer than the four years Twitter has existed.

Jack Dorsey, one of the three men responsible for the arrival of the Twitter-era, has managed to smoothly integrate the site into every part of our daily lives: our phones, our facebook profiles, our favourite TV programmes – it is even used as a teaching aid in schools.