Twitter and Meerkat on Technology Friday

It’s Technology Friday and today we’re going to be talking about Twitter and Meerkat.

Tweets just became more searchable! You no longer have to go directly to Twitter in order to look up a Twitter account, hashtag, or specific tweet. Now, specific trending hashtags and twitter accounts will show up when you search using Google.

Ardan Arac, Senior Product Manager for Google, said on the Google blog, “It’s a great way to get real-time info when something is happening. And it’s another way for organizations and people on Twitter to reach a global audience at the most relevant moments.”

Placing more tweets outside the app by making them searchable has the potential to help Twitter reach a larger audience and draw in many new users. So, this is a positive change. As someone who uses Twitter for marketing, I’m thrilled. But parents, this is something you want to use as a talking point. Do a quick search. Show your kids how easy it is it is to pull up a Twitter profile, search popular hashtags, and even try searching a specific tweet. Talk to your kids about the importance of thinking before posting. Our kids are growing and learning. Walk with them through this time.

I recently posted about Live streaming apps. Meerkat is now available for Android users. Are you wondering what Meerkat is and how it works? Or, are you trying to understand the draw Live streaming apps have? This video explains it:

I would encourage you to discuss live streaming apps with your teens. YouNow, MeerKat and Periscope are growing daily. I had my first experience joining in a U2 concert this week via MeerKat. It was a neat experience. This is the community feel and draw of live streaming apps. However, we want our teens to have a firm understanding of online safety. And, most of all, we want to be aware of what they are doing and watching.