Point: Politicians should get their tweet on

I'll be the first person to admit that Twitter is not for everyone. It takes a certain kind of individual to enjoy Twitter, and no, I don't mean 13-year-old girls.

The criticism du jour toward Twitter is that the site is simply Facebook boiled down to a status update. That argument is similar to someone calling an iPad just a large iTouch (Wait. That's true. Never mind.). But on Facebook, you are essentially forced to follow your friends and their updates. You have no choice. Once you start accepting friend requests, you are then subjected to reading annoying updates about your friend's cat and/or their delicious grilled cheese sandwich every single day.

On the other hand, Twitter promotes and encourages meritocracy—only the best users get the attention and followers. On Twitter, the social constructs and obligations of 21st century friendships are not as pronounced as on Facebook. You only follow the best feeds and the users that provide you with the most enjoyment. If their content is vapid, unfollow them. It's the user's fault, not the medium.

Twitter is essentially a way to create your own news network. Whatever news, entertainment, or people you want to hear from are all filtered to your account. I love that I can follow such a wide variety of sources, from comedians to news outlets to politicians, all of which I genuinely want to hear from.

Twitter primarily has a young demographic. For someone like a politician, Twitter is a great way to get your name out to young voters who have yet to hear of you or see your face on a T-shirt.

One hundred forty characters may not be enough to get to know a candidate or his values. However, most candidates and news outlets can tweet links to larger stories and statements from the candidates themselves, something Colorado candidates Ken Buck, John Hickenlooper, and Michael Bennet do well. These tweets allow followers to see what sources candidates are using and stay up-to-date on the candidate's campaign calendar.

So Twitter is not for everyone. It's not for the person who likes getting the grilled cheese updates, or having to turn on the television to get their news, or having to check a political candidate's website for recent updates. It's just for the person who wants to have the freedom to choose what they read and whom they get their updates from, 140 no-frill characters at a time.