It's funny how certain words get placed into our vocabulary as if it were like fashion trends - coming and going with each season. Anytime I think of "trendy" words, I often reflect on our good pal Gretchen Weiners who tried oh so very hard to make the word "fetch" happen, and it never did.
When I joined the Twitter in the spring of 2009 (weird to think I'm nearing my 3 year anniversary) I didn't fully understand how it all worked. I got it that I was supposed to update those who followed me about what I was up to, or sharing interesting things I found in the news or online. What I didn't catch onto right away were the #s (hashtags as we call them, not pound). So, when I finally understood that these #s could also serve as a tool to help people search for the latest information on Twitter, I began to use them. I remember one day, probably in 2009, talking with some friends about #s and them saying, "How do you know what to put? Is there a menu you choose from?" In some ways the answer is yes, but the greatest things about these #s are we have the power to make them up. Some #s are even used as professional development tools to reach out and share information about important topics in one's field. Some people don't event follow others on Twitter, instead, they choose to follow #s as a way of staying connected.
Working with college students, I feel as though I get the opportunity to always know the latest trends and have an understanding of what 18-22 year olds are buzzing about. It's funny to hear them using such language as "hashtag winning" or "hashtag fail" in a number of their conversations. To know that sort of language is #trending just goes to show the power of social networking. Just as Joey Lawrence got us to say WHOA! through the power of Blossom, Twitter has created something powerful that I believe is only just at the starting point of its impact nationally and even worldwide. Now, that's fetch.
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