Wikipedia lists Twitter as a "mini-blogging site."
I suppose so. 140 character posts with links can be saved and referred back to later. I almost never do that. Many people use it for networking with friends but FB would probably be better for more sedentary types and Snapchat might be better for those wanting instant messaging. (Don't know much about what kids are up to .)
Twitter can be a news aggregator in that you can follow something like an international news service, national and local newspapers and magazines, blogs, and individual journalists. If they post multiple times each day, following several of each of these will keep you up on what is happening.
I really enjoy the chatting writers do amongst themselves . If they work for rival news organizations, you can imagine that Twitter allows easy, casual communication whereas a telephone conversation while at work might not be the best idea. Also, they link their current work and use posts to praise colleagues.
Sounds much like standing in the middle of a busy airport. I don't know that I would ever need that much information from that many sources about things I couldn't care less about.
Let's say that you want to keep track of things in Carol Dee's part of the world. Flooding! So, you know that the television "news leader" in the Quad Cities KWQC. You search for kwqc news on Twitter.
On KWQC news stories you find their reporters. Some have the "beats" that have the most interested to you. One or two are chatting with reporters from other news sources about their stories. You find the emergency service agencies. Soon, you have news on all flooding and weather events in the Quad Cities immediately at hand!
Most anywhere in the world, issues big and small, you have news and information.
And the bit about ruining a moment because you were so determined to take video or photos of it. I've been really aware of that lately. Better to just be IN the moment and stop aggravating my kids with the camera. They get spiteful and won't give me a good smile anyway. Ha. Memory is so keenly tied to sense of smell. I do better to just breathe deep--stop and smell the roses if you will.
Even this forum I have to keep in moderation. When I'm stressed, this is my pleasant little escape for a bit. All of these things can be useful tools; nothing wrong if it can be kept in check. I love being able to access information at the drop of a hat. However, there is something that must be stimulated neurologically that makes these gadgets so addictive. Particularly for young people. I do worry that it is causing damage by "rewiring" the brain.
I held off by a couple of years after Facebook came out. I refused to get one. A friend in TX talked me into it so I could see the pictures of her new baby. It quickly got out of hand, way too much drama (particularly from extended relatives!) and I deleted that account. I was off of it for well over a year, but did eventually open another account under my dog's name that I use only to share pics or chat with my mom and sister. Then Ava started getting into various activities and I ended up opening another in my real name just for checking announcements from 4-H, soccer, etc. I joined a poultry group and have made some trades. I follow a couple pages of interest to me, joined a mushroom hunting forum, etc. But I put my settings so that no one could look me up or send me friend requests. I put a disclaimer on my page that I prefer face-to-face, one-on-one communication and won't accept any friend requests, for those who might find me on the other groups I did join. If you don't friend anyone, then FB won't project your name out there as a suggestion that other people friend you. Anti-social, I suppose, but I like it better on my own terms. I figure if I haven't talked to you in 20 years, there must be a good reason for it...