Obama: Doesn't use Twitter

Whilst the rest of the online world may be shocked that President Obama doesn't use Twitter, I think it's refreshing to learn the Leader of the Free World doesn't tweet. Let's face it, you'd hope he had more important things to do than let people know what he's doing at any given moment of the day. Plus, I don't think the Secret Service would be happy about it.

Either way, the internet, not to mention Twitter feeds, are abuzz with news that President Obama doesn't use the popular social media application after he admitted to a group of Chinese students in Shanghai that he's "too clumsy to type on the phone".

The question came about after he was asked by one of the students, "Should we be able to use Twitter freely?" In a country where the internet is heavily censored and online dissent clamped down upon, it was a critical question for the President.

"Well, first of all, let me say that I have never used Twitter. My thumbs are too clumsy to type in things on the phone," Obama replied. (However, it was widely reported that upon entering the White House, the new President refused to give up his Blackberry much to the chagrin of the Secret Service.)

He continued, "I should be honest, as president of the United States, there are times where I wish information didn't flow so freely because then I wouldn't have to listen to people criticizing me all the time. But because in the United States, information is free, and I have a lot of critics in the United States who can say all kinds of things about me, I actually think that that makes our democracy stronger and it makes me a better leader because it forces me to hear opinions that I don't want to hear."

Free information

While many will see this as a denouncement of Chinese internet policy, others will say the President avoided the issue, not surprising considering China is one of the US's largest trading partners. However, the President has previously called for the observance of "universal rights" of political expression, religious freedom and free information everywhere.

"They should be available to all people, including ethnic and religious minorities, whether they are in the United States, China or any nation."

Either way, it's interesting to note that whilst the current President doesn't 'tweet', his predecessor once admitted that he'd never sent an email. Doesn't make Obama seem that out of touch does it?

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