Twitter, Tweets, Hash tags... Oh my.

I don't know about you, but I have a strange attachment to my cell phone. Leaving it at home invokes feelings of sheer panic. What if I have an accident? What if I miss an important call? What if I have to get somewhere?? So many "what ifs" that it borderlines on obsessive/compulsive disorder. It's pretty much total insanity, considering years ago, cell phones didn't even exist.

Nowadays, we have not only cell phones, but smart phones; Phones that connect us to anyone or anywhere in a matter of seconds. People don't need their computers anymore to get information out and for some, they've become clunky. Face book statuses can be updated, bank accounts can be accessed and twitter accounts constantly fill with all kinds of information.Tweets bling from personal accounts to media outlets back to personal accounts and suddenly hundreds of thousands of people have accessed news.

This is the way of the future whether we, as journalists or the public, like it or not. And is it really a bad thing? Our society, in the 21st century, is based on instant gratification; the need-to-know before it even happens. It seems as though journalism is moving at the speed of technology. Flip cams, digital cameras and the ever-popular iPhones are making anyone a journalist. Citizen journalist are being given the opportunity to sell "their" news, be it their neighborhood, their favorite cover band or the sit-in that is happening on their college campus.

Twitter is the quintessential idea for an instant-gratification public. News from trials, sports events, and even the coolest shoes from fashion week can be easily tweeted and within seconds the world knows about it.  Hash tags have become part of common language and allow people to access information that they find interesting, easier and more efficiently.

I think we are engrossed in the journalism of the future. As society and technology progresses, so too should journalism. Keeping things fresh, is what keeps it interesting and makes people pay attention.

Lets keep the movement going...#getonboardmojos (I think I did that correctly!)