Twitter states that it is a tool for social good, helping charities to promote their cause, helping businesses to work more effectively and giving the public fast, up to date access about whatever they find interesting [1]. While twitter has undoubtedly been used for good, for instance in education [2], and for fundraising activities [3], it has also been seriously abused [4], leading to implications for society on whether the site can be controlled effectively in the future, or whether things will only get worse.<\/p>\n
The two disciplines I have chosen to look at are Philosophy and Politics.<\/p>\n
Philosophy:<\/span><\/p>\n In this area I have been looking at the three main distinctions of philosophy; metaphysics, epistemology and moral\/political philosophy. Whilst the first two areas are perhaps more abstract, containing huge fundamental questions beyond the scope of this project,\u00a0 it is the third area that I am particularly interested in and that I believe ties in well with the question. For instance the area can be well applied to how people, including the general public and those with power, use twitter on a daily basis. Should companies be allowed to use celebrities to casually endorse their products? Why do hundreds of people take to \u2018bullying\u2019 one another on a daily basis? Does a lack of norms allow for this? Can we justify this behaviour? Is it the duty of the government to do something about this?<\/p>\n Politics:<\/span><\/p>\n This is an area which I have not yet looked into as fully, but from my first readings it appears that politics studies anything and everything to do with those who have been allocated a position of power, and what policies they decide to uphold. In the area of political philosophy, I am particularly interested in what makes governmental decisions legitimate and does the government have power over online space?<\/p>\n Resources:<\/span><\/p>\n [1] https:\/\/twitter.com\/about<\/a><\/p>\n [2] http:\/\/www.fp.ucalgary.ca\/maclachlan\/EDER_679.06_Fall_2009\/tweeting_the_night_away.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n [3] http:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/article\/217772<\/a><\/p>\n