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Upon first glance, Twitter appears to be only a record of mundane – yet oddly fascinating – reports of daily minutiae. But over the course of the past two years, Twitter’s evolved as a witness to and enabler of the spread of revolution and social advances.

While Malcolm Gladwell may disagree on the functional aspect of Twitter and social activism, when it comes to reporting news as it unfolds and advancing social and political agendas (one need only look at China’s banning of both Twitter and Facebook, Iran’s digital filtering and the Occupy Wall Street movement), there is no denying the strength and force of Twitter in reporting and disseminating both news and popular culture.  

According to a study from Pew Internet Research, Twitter adoption continues to move at a fast pace. Consider this:

• Twitter usage by those ages 25-44 has grown significantly since late 2010
• number of 30-49 year olds who use the service has doubled since late 2010—from 7% of such users in November to 14% in May 2011.
• This growth trend is especially pronounced among 25-34 year olds—Twitter use for this cohort roughly doubled between November 2010 and May 2011, from 9% to 19%—although growth in Twitter use among internet users ages 35-44 was notable as well (from 8% in late 2010 to 14% in spring 2011).
• By contrast, Twitter adoption over the same time period was stable among the youngest adults (those ages 18-24) who were the most likely to use the service in our [Pew] first survey.

In addition to traffic growth, as with most technology, the ways in which people will adopt and interact with Twitter will also change. One specific area of growth is the use of Twitter as an educational aide. As the adoption curve for digital technology essentially now begins at birth, educators have been challenged to adapt and make learning more interactive, more engaging, both inside the classroom and out. I mention education for a reason, which I’ll get to shortly.

However.

Let’s take a step back a moment. I’ve mentioned using Twitter to propel us into the future, and engage us with the present. Twitter is, after all, about real time. The here and now, as it’s happening. But how can Twitter adjust to the past?

Allow me to take you down the rabbit hole a bit. Bring forth Ye Twitters of Old!

Using Twitter to caricature current newsworthy figures is a bit old hat (Rahm Emmanuel, Sarah Palin), and even the dead ghost-tweet from their own Twitter accounts (Shakespeare, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Samuel Johnson).

But what if we take a historical event, and retell it in real time via Twitter? Pepys’ Diary is selectively broadcast tweet by tweet in accordance with his actual diaries. But what about something on a larger, global scale?

It’s happening now: RealTimeWWII and UKWarCabinet are doing just that.  Beginning at the start of World War 2, RealTimeWWII details the War from its start – Germany’s invasion of Poland – in real time, down to date and time (8/31/39). It’s compelling, and it’s frightening.  Basic knowledge of the war is all that’s needed; in fact, the limitations of basic knowledge make the feed even more interesting. Details are limited to 140-characters with little to no context, so it’s quite easy to slip back in time where information traveled at a snail’s pace; one could nearly imagine the tweets coming in over a wire.

In a similar vein, UKWarCabinet details WWII, 70 years to the day, via Cabinet Papers held in Britain’s National Archives. Each update provides a link to the actual Cabinet paper for further discovery. Since the feed is based on Cabinet papers, the information is a bit more limited in scope, but this does not detract from importance or quality.

Most importantly, both Twitter accounts ensure that the War doesn’t disappear from our collective memory. By using the advantage of real-time communication, the immense scale of an historical event is made accessible and relevant. RealTimeWWII’s Twitter account spurred a flurry of activity; from followers forwarding their own War memorabilia to the account holder, to an active Facebook page launched after the Twitter feed began, it’s quickly become a way to engage with historians, fellow fans and survivors. The RealTimeWWII feed is already translated into a few other languages (Polish, Russian) with perhaps even more in the works.

As social media continues to mutate into other forms and uses, accessibility ­– of people, news and events – is the thread holding it together and weaving this medium for communication into the collective conscious.

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For more information about RealTimeWWII, listen to the CBC’s Q interview with the founder of the account.

For additional historical accounts:

Orwell Diaries

10 Historical Events Affected by Social Media

For more information on the development of Twitter for education:

Why Twitter is a Teacher’s Best Tool

5 Ways Twitter has Changed Education

The Ultimate Guide to Using Twitter in Education

A Professor’s Tips for Using Twitter in the Classroom

Image credit: Library of Congress, Flickr, Creative Commons