G.K. Chesterton once remarked that the sight of a rhinoceros ought to inspire wonder in us, wonder that such a ridiculous looking being actually exists. What was meant by this witticism was that we ought never to take the existence of a thing for granted, as if it was inevitable or necessary. When faced with the sight of something as odd as a rhinoceros, we ought to ask ourselves “Why does this exist, and in such a funny shape?” Similarly, when faced with the sight of something as odd as Twitter, we ought to ask ourselves: Why does this exist? And why, instead of pondering this existential question, are most of its users simply debating the proper and improper ends to which it can be put? What does it say about us as a society that our ninth most visited website is not, say, a forum where people can donate money to directly aid victims of war-torn countries in Africa, but a forum where we can announce to both friends and strangers exactly what we’re doing and how we’re feeling about life?

Ben Garner, "Why Does Technology Even Exist?"