What’s the latest Web 2.0 phenomenon to entice 20-something hipsters, vote-hungry politicians and late-night talk show hosts alike? Myspace? Please. Facebook? As if. The answer, as I have recently become aware of firsthand, is Twitter.

Much like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and the Hawaiian delicacy poi, Twitter is something that’s hard to describe in words, yet infectious and instantly familiar once experienced. In a nutshell, Twitter is like Myspace if it was just updates. Twitter users- via text message or computer- updated their followers with “tweets,” about their whereabouts, recent activities, or thoughts.

It sounds pretty self-obsessed; at least to me it did. When Mr. Mallet, my newspaper advisor, informed the staff of the Rider that we would be getting Twitter accounts, I was worried about becoming part of the problem; another teenager informing the world about their wants and needs. The whole concept of Twitter struck me as terribly narcissistic. But, as the old expression goes, don’t knock it ‘till you tried it.

My first tweets were awkward and stilted:

“Keith Olberman is very loud, isn’t he?8:24 PM Mar 30th from web”

“The new Decembrists record is fantastic. Thanks Ian!8:40 PM Mar 30th from web”

I wasn’t sure what to do with it, how to handle this strange and adorably-named application. Fortunately, the tweets that I received were much more entertaining than the tweets I had made.

My “friends” on Twitter included my fellow staff writers; Mallet, Jimmy Fallon, my buddies Scott from Indiana and Jack from London and my favorite columnist, Whitney Matheson from USA Today. Did I need to know Hannah Overstreet had eaten way too many Sour Patch Kids? Was it imperative that I be aware that Jimmy Fallon totally hung out with Samantha Ronson last night? Nope, but it was fun to know.

I really came into my own on Twitter over Easter holiday, when I left for San Antonio to see the extended family. I discovered that I was much more comfortable tweeting my thoughts and observations- the little nothings that pop into my head- than I was letting everyone know my exact whereabouts and actions. Here are just some of the tweets I made over the course of a four hour road trip;

“Ha. My sneakers are getting beat up without me even having to wear em. 7:15 PM Apr 10th from txt”

“The further south I go, the better the tejano music gets on the radio7:42 PM Apr 10th from txt”

Unexpendedly, Twitter also served as a form of therapy. When I received word that my brother’s 12-year-old dog- an animal I myself grew up sleeping on and running with- had passed away, tweeting the news actually made me feel better.

The Rider’s own Twitter profile proved invaluable when it came to keeping updated with the fates of our soccer team and one-act-play.

I’m not saying that Twitter’s going to revolutionize the communications world, I’m not even saying it’s going to last by the time I graduate. But for now, Twitter is an interesting and fun way to keep in touch.