Like text messaging before it, Twitter has captured the minds of teenagers and has forced some fathers to learn about the micro-blogging website and its increasing presence in popular culture.
For those who are still unfamiliar with the website, here’s a quick review: Twitter offers users the opportunity to display 140-character messages, called tweets, on their home page. People with Twitter accounts can follow other users and will get an update from them whenever the user posts a new tweet.
Smartphones, such as the Blackberry and the iPhone, also allows people to receive and send tweets on their mobile devices. This means a person doesn’t have to be at a computer to use Twitter.
Because of this new technology, some fathers may want to use their parenting skills to use Twitter as a different way to communicate with their children. The site is more enjoyable when it’s being used constantly (though sending 10 tweets in an hour may be excessive).
Families who use Twitter can talk about their day as it’s happening, allowing dinnertime conversations to expand on that.
However, also make a point to have cell phones put away during family time, to highlight the importance of face-to-face communications.
