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Twitter is a phenomenon right now, and much like Facebook (and MySpace before that), I swore I would never jump on the bandwagon and become another tool in the social networking machine.

But the world spins, times change, and I now belong to a ‘unique’ community that quite happily exchanges barrel loads of personal information in return for the chance to socialise with real-life friends in a completely un-real virtual reality. “Give me your number, we’ll meet up for a drink…” has become “Facebook me!”, adding to and already ridiculously annoying new breed of speech, in which folk “LOL!” instead of using the out-dated yet traditional act of laughter. Honestly, next time someone takes a picture and lets me know that it’s their new profile pic as if I may for some unknown reason give a shit, I may just have to take a little trip to the Thames via the ledge of Tower Bridge.

Now this isn’t meant to be an attack on everyone that frequents Social Networking sites (like I said, things change), but it seems to be getting a titch ridiculous. The most annoying thing however, is that I have started the long slippery slope to Twitter/Facebook/Blogging dependence, and I’m not even sure how i ended up here. When did it become normal for me to wake up and check my Twitter account before I’ve even had time to sit up and go take a piss? Is it OK that I think nothing of whipping out my iPhone and updating my status every time something remotely interesting happens? And is it normal that I (and hundreds more like me) follow the escapades of a newborn baby named @Minimentally?

Put novelty factors aside for a moment, and really think about what’s happening here. My life can continue perfectly normally without updates such as “Saw lots of trees today. Trees then sky, trees then sky. Then more trees and more sky. Can’t wait till I can sit up.” And do I really need to know a babies thoughts on eating and shitting?

Of course I realise that this is just a gimmick, and that this isn’t really a teeny tiny baby sending updates to my handy Twitter platform of choice (or so I’ve been told), but once again, when did this become a regular everyday thing? I still grimmace at the thought of me excitedly telling my girlfriend about the newborn I had added as a contact, and reeling off a couple of Tweets to assert to her the value that comes with knowing what (a parent has decided) a baby thinks. I also remember a time when Social Networking, and my participation within it, was simply an end to a means. A handy and convenient way to advance my career and make me a few quick contacts and get in touch with old friends.

A quick look out across the Twitter-sphere brings the discovery of yet more babies quite happily sharing their inner most thoughts. And after a couple of clicks it appears I have chosen to follow them as well. Oh well, what can you do? Like I said, the world has changed…

(By the way, you can follow Squidge Magazine on Twitter by clicking here.)