I recently taught "Introduction to Twitter" to a classroom of 9 computer users, eight of whom have had zero social networking experience. One of the students, a middle-aged gentleman, asked me the question on which this blog's title is based: "If I don't tweet, am I a twit?"
What I found interesting while teaching the class is that what seems simple to me is not simple to everyone. Twitter prides itself on simplicity. However, if you are not familiar with the social networking world, there is nothing simple about it. The largest social networking sites bring with it an entire new vocabulary. If you are not familiar with Facebook, you do not know what it means to "friend" someone or how to "facebook me" if I ask. If you have never seen Twitter, a hashtag is just the pound symbol on your phone, and the @ symbol is even more confusing.
As librarians, we are expected to know how to use all of the new technologies. We are no longer merely teaching someone how to double-click their mouse; we are now teaching them how to access their bank accounts online, apply for benefits, download ebooks, and join the social networking frenzy. Elderly people are being awakened to all of the possibilities in the online social environment. They want to see pictures of their childrens' families, read what their grandchildren are doing, and reconnect with old friends and distant family members. However, many of them lack the skills to truly engage. Large companies are selling them devices they cannot use and systems they cannot comprehend.
It is up to us as librarians to help our patrons feel less like twits and more like tweeters. They do not expect to be experts, but they would like to feel competent and be less intimidated by what seems simple to many of us. Being patient and empathetic are crucial when guiding them down this often frustrating path. Everyone lives in the digital age, whether they understand or not. As information professionals, we should be helping people come to terms with this new world and leading them gently along.
