Social media has different meanings based on whose lens you’re looking through. Older generations view social media as trivial or mindless. This misconception glosses over the fact that social media platforms like Twitter, offer an abundance of wealth and knowledge to its users. Twitter is a particular platform that, with 330 million users, displays the incredible power of technology in the 21st century. Here are six reasons that Twitter is for more than just memes:

1. It creates worldwide connections.

The beauty of social media is that it isn’t limited to one certain region. People from all around the world can come together in a single place. There are hundreds of stories about people finding lifelong friendship online, relationships that span continents. Isn't that amazing?

2. It is a foundation for organizing and activism.

With the growth of social media, this decade has seen an abundance of activism. There is no doubt that activism and organizing occur offline as well but Twitter has made it much easier for certain causes to gain support and momentum. Hashtags make social justice causes easy to access, retweets make it simpler to find events and leaders. Additionally, Twitter is important for those who are unable to participate in physical acts of organization and activism. As social media grows, so does the voice of those striving to make a change.

3. It gives us our news.

For many people, Twitter is a main source of news that is not mainstream. News in real time often makes it to the Twitter timeline before a news outlet can even pick it up. The swiftness of the app allows users to see updates on a story much faster rather than waiting for a news site to collect the information that, much of the time, is found online.

4. Forming communities is effortless.

Twitter has long been the place for fandoms to flock to, for artists to reach their fans, for people to bond over a common interest. Where offline, physical boundaries create obstacles, Twitter eliminates those obstacles and gives people the chance to create communities at their fingertips.

5. Learning and sharing knowledge is easy.

Accessibility when it comes to education and knowledge has always been a challenge but Twitter has allowed for the easy sharing of knowledge between people. Informational threads are easy to create, easy to follow, and offer a simple way to learn something new.

6. It can be an escape.

Sometimes Twitter is nothing more than a way to escape from the troubles of everyday life. When all you're looking for is a laugh, leave it to the brilliant Twitter users to deliver. The jokes are boundless as well as the amount of people that will send you a kind word in a heartbeat. Twitter is definitely for more than just memes, but sometimes that's enough.

Rattle these off the next time your parents tell you to stop wasting time on your phone.