Twitter is in this weird liminal space between the ridiculous and very serious. The name sounds stupid. Twitter. Tweet. It sounds really flippant.
And a lot of times it is used for unimportant matters: “Going to the drug store!” “Just ate a sandwich!” “OMG I love my pink shoes!” Who cares, right?
But increasingly it’s being used for more legitimate means. (And this goes for all social media websites.) Remember the protests following the stolen election in Iran, when the government tried to shut down communication with the outside world, and people had to communicate through facebook and twitter?
Similarly, a few months ago there was a shooting down the block from me. I found out all the details from facebook and twitter—what happened, where, when, why, and by whom—before the news or any official medium had even announced that it happened.
So I guess what I’m saying is the fact that this woman chose twitter as her medium is not especially important. I think what really matters about this question is: should people talk about abortion? And the answer is a resounding yes. Women should not need to feel guilty, ashamed, or alone when they go through this. And the best way to reshape our thinking so they no longer need to is through an open dialogue, like the one this woman is having.