Is twitter actually stifling proper debate?

I love twitter in many ways. The stories, images etc that one simply wouldn't see anywhere else is truly life-enhancing.

And unlike facebook where one talks (or not) with one's friends and family about banalities (lunch nom nom), twitter is the whole world. It has breaking news long before the BBC gets it; images from real people 'on the ground' as it were, views and comment from a miriad of people and perspectives that would simply not (currently) be aired - or more importantly received and considered - in any other way. Yes sometimes these 'reports' are bogus 'propaganda' and one has to have some circumspection about what one believes (and maybe retweets), (and always look at the date on the story being run, he says ruefully), but generally it's a fantastic news source.

It has its downsides too I guess: the keyboard warriors who cannot conduct a civilized debate without being personally insulting if one doesn't share their views. People blatantly selling stuff.

But generally speaking I have found it to be a wonderful source of information, views, unusual images and news. I have also enjoyed some intense and intelligent debates on issues of the day. These debates don't often change people's minds but, in my case anyway they do give pause for thought sometimes and allow one to experience a different perspective. This I think is particularly valuable in our current society where one's views are shaped largely by the main stream media (MSM) especially the BBC, where a political slant is put on most news items.

So whilst one might not buy the Mirror or the Grauniad for the sake of one's blood pressure and those on the other side of the divide might eschew the Telegraph or the Mail, on twitter you get it all, in one place. And that IMO is a good thing.

Or at least you did, and it was.

Obviously the people who shout the loudest and swear the most will claim to have won the argument (whatever it is), whether that is true or not. But that's OK. I have found that many people simply disappear if the cogency of the argument put forward threatens their view of the world. And that's OK. I can live with that.

I tend not to engage or get into a debate if I'm not pretty sure of the facts supporting my views. That does not mean that I am right all the time, but it does at least leave me 'armed' in any battle of wits on an issue. Many people seem to me to go into 'battle' completely unarmed - or at least with a level of knowledge and comprehension of an issue that might be several miles wide, but is less than an inch deep.

And that's OK too, since they quickly shut up and go (run?) away.

But the thing is, over time, what happens is that one migrates towards people who share the same views, one unfollows or is not followed or is blocked by people who don't. Over time, therefore, one finds oneself in a 'cyber' room, with people who share one's views. Who have the same values and beliefs about politics, the EU, climate change, sport, whatever.

And whilst it might be nice for a while to be in this 'club' where your views are welcomed and shared; where people retweet your stuff because they agree with it, it does start to get a bit smug after a while.

It starts, dare I say it, to get a bit samey. I'm not saying that I have deliberately rebelled against this phenomenon. Quite the opposite. I have found myself in a twitter position (not sure if that's a recognised social phenomenon yet) in which I am surrounded by lovely people (followers and people I follow); many of whom I'd be delighted to have a beer with, but my time-line is becoming full of the same stuff.

People who (as one would expect given what I've said above) retweet the same stuff. Are outraged by the same (usually leftie in my twitter world) nonesense.

But the thing is (have I said that already?) this is largely preaching to the already converted. It's 'what have the Romans ever done for us' in reverse. We all agree. And it is a natural aspect of the twitter format.

But it seems to me that this means increasingly, that there is less original content on my time-line. That is not a criticism of current 'friends and followers' but I'm just pointing out that it is not necessarily healthy for the twitter platform.

I don't know what the answer is, but the fact is that I'm becoming a bit bored by twitter. I see the same content retweeted endlessly by different people on my timeline (and am undoubtedly guilty of this myself), but it's all getting just a it boring. 

Thanks for reading.