There has been much speculation on the prospect of Disney acquiring Twitter. Twitter has been on the hunt for a company to buy it because its stock prices are slumping and it is having trouble attracting new users and advertisers. Disney is very interested in Twitter and will probably end up with it, but I will keep hoping this does not happen. The article, "The Happiest Buy on Earth? Disney Interest in Twitter Sparks Speculation", quotes Farhad Manjoo, "'Disney is the happiest place on earth', he says, 'Twitter is for the worst people on the planet.'" This quote really says it all. Twitter is simply not innocent enough for a company like Disney. Twitter is the setting of vulgarness and arguing. Twitter has racism and stereotypes you may have never even heard of. Some people who use Twitter are in fact "the worst people on the planet." Twitter is home to some of the dumbest, meanest, and most ignorant humans who all think what they have to say is very important. Other companies that Disney owns are more controllable, such as Pixar and ESPN. Those companies are very professional and the content is all completely controlled and monitored. Twitter cannot be babysat to the same extent because it is a social media website. There is a professional side to Twitter too; however, celebrities can lash out and act immature at any second. One of the presidential candidates (Donald Trump) even writes provocative tweets- too provocative for the innocent and politically correct Disney company.
Another thing- Disney is taking over the world. Twitter might be full of creeps and politically incorrect humor, but that is the way I like it. When I cannot focus, I scroll through my Twitter feed laughing at people attempting to recreate the currently popular dance move, or using a popular meme to make different variations of the joke. I fear if Disney takes over Twitter, they will clean up the vulgarity and realness of Twitter, the things that make Twitter fun. There was also the point that if Disney controlled Twitter, it might be difficult for other companies to further their own interests through Twitter advertisement. Disney could simply shut out its competitors from using Twitter as a medium for social advancement. Besides that, Disney having jurisdiction over a social media website freaks me out a little. Disney can use propaganda in places where we know and expect it to be, like in commercials or stores, but to further their company through a safe place for people to interact frightens me. The propaganda will be strewn throughout Twitter in a surreptitious and subtle manner so that tweeters will not even know they are being manipulated.
However, Disney buying Twitter does make sense logistically. Twitter is trying to get into more live streaming of things like the NFL and it streamed the presidential debate recently. This is something I can get behind because things like the presidential debate should definitely be streamed through a medium everyone has access too, and a free one at that. As a college student, I do not have a TV and was worried I would not be able to watch, which as a citizen with the right to vote, would be scary if I was completely uninformed because my vote counts just as much as the informed voter. Sports also should be free to watch because it something we all share in the US and around the world that brings us together. Disney owning ESPN would be able to help Twitter in the area of live-streaming. Twitter is hoping adding more rights to live-streaming will increase the stock which is plummeting quickly.
If Disney does buy Twitter and cannot manage to save the company, this will hurt the stocks of both Disney and Twitter. This would be the first successful merge of its kind if the deal works out in favor of both companies. A company owning a social media website seems almost Big Brother-like to me, and after reading many articles and books on Disney for my writing course, that is usually what Disney is going for. I, for one, do not want Disney in control of my life. I love Disney movies as much as the next person, but the entire company being in my face all of the time would be too much to handle. I want to be able to see Disney in the serving size I desire- not forced on me or ruining the things I love (Twitter). The world will be better off if this deal between Disney and Twitter falls through.
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