Why is it that popular social networking sites such as Twitter and Plurk are growing by leaps and bounds? Do we really want to know every little thought that jumps from your friend’s mind to his keyboard in short 140 character bursts? Is society really fascinated with what people across the country are having for lunch, or when they take their break at work, or how annoyed they are by the last statement made by their co-worker? The answer is OF COURSE we are!

Twitter began a social revolution providing a view into the real time actions and reactions of people across the globe. Depending on who you are following, you can track adventurers as they try to trek their way across the planet by way of hitchhiking, see the reactions of reporters as they cross enemy lines seeking fame and to be the first to share a new scoop with the world, or even get a brief analysis of Shaq’s performance from the locker room at half-time. This is a level of access to information that was impossible just a few years ago. The increase in cell phone texting directly to the pages of the internet has revolutionized the way individuals can provide and receive information.

The most recent trend has been for celebrities to share their lives with the public via twitter. Ironically, many of these same celebrities will fight tooth and nail against the paparazzi claiming that they are entitled to their privacy, but there are a growing number of incidents whereby these same celebrities are sharing an unprecedented look into their lives through short snippets of information that the public previously would not have been able to access. Whether this is a way for to increase their fan base, or to circumvent the tabloids and get the “real news” out there is uncertain, but it does provide fun fodder for those who like to follow the lives of celebrities.

Here is a short list of famous folks you can follow on Twitter:

Celebrities:
Alan Carr — @AlanCarr — Comedian
Arnold Schwarzenegger — @schwarzenegger — Actor/politician
Brea Grant — @breagrant — American actress, Heroes
Elijah Wood — @elijahwood — Hollywood actor
Felicia Day — @feliciaday — American actress, Web video maven
Greg Grunberg — @greggrunberg — Matt in Heroes
James Kyson Lee — @jameskysonlee — Korean American actor, Heroes
Jimmy Carr — @jimmycarr — Comedian
Jimmy Fallon — @jimmyfallon — American comedian, actor etc, SNL
LeVar Burton — @levarburton — Star Trek actor
Luke Wilson — @LukeWilson — American actor
Penn Jillette — @pennjillette — Magician
Richard Branson — @richardbranson — Virgin founder
Seth MacFarlane — @SethMacFarlane — Family Guy creator
Wil Wheaton — @wilw — Writer, Star Trek actor etc
Yoko Ono — @yokoono — Japanese artist

Music:
Britney Spears — @britneyspears — Pop singer
Dave Rowntree — @davefromlondon — Drummer from Blur, etc
MC Hammer — @MCHammer — Rapper
Sara Bareilles — @SaraBareilles — Pop singer
Snoop Dogg — @snoopdogg — Rapper etc

Sports:
Andy Murray — @andy_murray — Tennis player
Eli Manning — @elimanning — NFL quarterback
Jerry Rice — @jerryrice — NFL (retired)
Kerry Rhodes — @kerryrhodes — NFL defenceman
Lance Armstrong — @lancearmstrong — cyclist
Michael Phelps — @ Michael_Phelps — Swimmer
Natalie Gulbis — @natalie_gulbis — Golfer
Shaquille O’Neal — @THE_REAL_SHAQ — basketball player, rapper
Shaun White — @ Shaun_White — Snowboarder
Will Carling — @willcarling — Rugby player