How Powerful Is Twitter?

In 2006, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey launched the social network’s first tweet.
In the decade since, Twitter has given way to social movements like the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street.
The site has been embraced by 2016 presidential candidates, as well as world leaders, celebrities and even the Pope.
When Twitter hit the web, the founders set a mandate for brevity.
Tweets can not exceed 140 characters, and users can group ideas with hashtags This gave the social network a unique identity, separate from competitors.
Twitter quickly became a gateway between companies and consumers.
At its peak in 2013, the company was worth more than $30 billion dollars.
However due to slowing user growth and revenue loss, its worth has plummeted to about $10 billion.
the platform boasts more than 300 million active users, which is roughly equal to the population of the United States.
And even after massive layoffs in 2015, the company still employs nearly four thousand people all around the world.
But despite their dwindling power as a business, Twitter is still a driving force in politics and the media.
 In the political world, the platform took off in 2008, as a campaign tool for Barack Obama.
 Seeing the success of his presidential run, conservatives took to social media as well.
In 2009, the newly formed Tea Party Movement broadened their influence by reaching out to followers through their Twitter page, rather than through mailers or leaflets.
Today, Twitter is not just a niche tool for politicians, it's an essential part of their reality.
In the 2016 presidential race, Front runner Donald Trump is by far more active on Twitter than any of his opponents His so-called mastery of the platform has been linked to his campaign’s success.
Trump could be taking notes from Obama’s strategy during 2012 election, as he out-tweeted his rival, Mitt Romney, eight times over.
When Obama coined the term “Romnesia” to illustrate his opponent’s inconsistent political stances, the hashtag took off on Twitter.
The critique of Romney was lauded as one of the key causes of his loss.
perhaps Twitter’s greatest power is its ability to organize and unite people for a common cause This was demonstrated in 2011, when Egyptians took to the streets to rally against their long-running president, (HOHS-nee moo-BAH-rahk) Hosni Mubarak .
During the week before Mubarak’s resignation, tweets about Egypt ballooned from just over two thousand a day to nearly a quarter-million.
Experts say internal communication through social media was essential to these popular uprisings, as media outlets were often controlled by oppressive governments.
But despite its overwhelming use as a force of good, Twitter is also a promotional tool for terrorist groups like ISIS.
 the company has shut down more than 125,000 accounts with pro-terrorism rhetoric The move was applauded by the Obama Administration, who has pushed for more government collaboration with social media sites.