Twitter's Global Impact (Infographic)

Who knew 140 characters could be so powerful? GoFigure today looks at who uses Twitter worldwide.
Who knew 140 characters could be so powerful? GoFigure today looks at who uses Twitter worldwide. (Image credit: Ross Toro, LiveScience Contributor)

Twitter has come a long ways since it hit the Web in 2006. The online social networking and micro-blogging site now boasts over a million active users, with half logging in every day, and it is changing the way news is delivered to people everywhere.

The size of Twitter's presence and power is undeniably huge. Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Britney Spears together have more Twitter followers than the entire populations of Sweden, Israel, Greece, Chile, North Korea and Australia.

Meanwhile, Twitter was the star of the media coverage surrounding the death of Osama bin Laden in May, as users of the popular social networking site not only broke the story but kept the world up-to-date with the latest news.

It's also been an instrumental tool in organizing protests in Egypt and the United States, such as the Occupy Wall Street movement, as well as getting news out about natural disasters and pending storms.

Samantha Murphy
Samantha Murphy was a contributor to Live Science, covering the tech industry. She holds a degree in journalism and cinema studies from New York University.