Many people use social networking Web sites as a means of keeping friends apprised of what movie they’re watching or how their Arby’s Beef ‘n Cheddar tastes.
Now, it seems such Web sites may be used to serve a higher purpose.
The Dalai Lama launched his Twitter page Monday, a day after meeting with Twitter founder Evan Williams.
“Met the Dalai Lama today in LA. Pitched him on using Twitter. He laughed,” Williams tweeted Sunday.
Apparently it was more than just a dismissive chuckle, as the Dalai Lama created an account less than 24 hours after the suggestion was made. In the three days since the page has been up, the Dalai Lama has amassed more than 80,000 followers.
To put that into perspective, The Daily Cougar’s Twitter account was launched in June of 2009 and has a grand total of 443 followers.
While we at The Daily Cougar do not support a particular religion, we are happy to see the Dalai Lama embrace technology and give himself a platform from which to speak. Social networking Web sites are not only a great way to keep up with friends and family, but also can be used to provide a medium for certain people to share their message with the world.
To see a cultural icon such as the Dalai Lama using Twitter is indicative of a societal shift toward a new wave of mass communication.
How the Dalai Lama intends to use his newfound stage remains to be seen. So far, he has posted only nine tweets, none of which offer any spiritual guidance or advance some nefarious agenda.
But regardless of what thoughts he decides to share, the Dalai Lama has given credibility to a media platform that was previously lacking any.
It’s a giant step in the right direction, and that can never be a bad thing.
