How Tweet It Is: Tips on How NOT to Use Twitter

Ah, good old Twitter. Expressing yourself in 140 characters or less to a bevy of followers has become the new cool thing to do. It's so cool that tons of celebrities have Twitter accounts some with millions of followers. As of today, Kim Kardashian has 4,569,910 followers. But, she's only #7 on the list of Twitaholics. Lady Gaga rules the list at a whopping 5,801,408! Hmm, maybe I should jump on her bandwagon.

Besides all the celebrity rantings and such, Twitter is actually quite useful for finding information at lightning speed. I've used it to find deals for restaurants, clothing, cosmetics and travel. Some have used to to make friends and have "tweet-ups."

 But, of course there are some people who abuse the privilege and choose to go the less noble route.

Of course Twitter can be extremely useful tool and can help save you money by being used to find coupons online or to follow deal hunters.  But used the wrong way, it can have serious (and sometimes expensive!) consequences. 

Recently, Paris Hilton tweeted that some guy was breaking into her house: "So scary, just got woken up to a guy trying to break into my house holding 2 big knifes. Cops are here arresting." If it were me, I'm not really sure I would be broadcasting such news to over 2.5 million people worldwide. A little too much info and actually quite personal. There are limits to what one should share with strangers.

We all know NOT to text and drive. I'm sure many of us are still guilty of this crime. I usually wait until I'm at a stoplight before looking at my phone. That doesn't really count, right? Last week, celebrity plastic surgeon to the stars, Dr Frank Ryan, was involved in a fatal car accident in Malibu minutes after he tweeted "Border collie Jill surveying the view from atop the sand dune." Shortly after, his car plunged from the cliff and he died instantly. His dog was found swimming in the Pacific Ocean. Sad, but true. Stop driving while distracted! Is your life really worth responding to a text or to vent on Twitter?

And while losing one's life is an extreme consequence of Twitter abuse, losing $25k is pretty significant as well.  Recently, the NFL fined Chad Ochocinco that amount for violating its social media policy by "possessing an electronic device and posting Twitter messages during Friday's exhibition against the Philadelphia Eagles."   Twenty-five grand is probably chump change for Ochocinco, but it'd make most people think twice about tweeting.

And then there are some people who don't know when to keep their mouths or Twitter accounts silent. Take Courtney Love for example. The estranged mother of Frances Bean Cobain recently took to her Twitter to profess her love, guilt, desperation and regrets of being a bad mother. One such crazy tweet was "i shouldve hooked up in some loveless marriage to a powerful hedgefund guy then youd be safe, im sorry i didnt. for your sake.i love you." Hmm...probably not the best way to get your daughter to speak to you again. And I'm sure your 51,723 followers didn't really want to know that. I think family drama or drama of any kind should be dealt with in private, not a public forum.

Another way to not use Twitter is by complaining about personal matters. I've been guilty of this before, but have now found a better way to deal with that demon. Nobody cares that the traffic sucks in LA, your child barfed on you, or you and your significant other broke up. Seriously, everyone has their own issues they are dealing with. Now, if you really must talk about what happened, twist it around so it's funny or neutral. Glass half full, anyone? Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos explains how Twitter can make you a happier and better person in this great article. He gives an example of being locked out of his hotel room in Mexico for 45 minutes, but made it an enjoyable experience because he was able to have a funny discussion with his followers about it. Great way to make lemonade out of lemons.

What are some other ways to not use Twitter? And, if you are on Twitter, what do you use it for?