Is using social media necessary as a developer?

Yes! Try to get involved as much as possible. I actually obtained a internship to a tech company just by exchanging Twitter information with a person I met on a Lyft ride. Social media has become such a big part of our day to day lives that it really is a powerful tool to have in this industry. And personally I feel like people in a way judge you and you're work based on how you put yourself out their on the web. It can be a great thing if done right or you're worst nightmare,

I'd love to hear other folks response to your question as well. For me personally the majority of social media I use is private, for friends and family only, except Pinterest and Twitter. I've come to rely a lot on Twitter to see what's new, what people in the industry are doing, and how they're moving forward. I don't really post much myself, I just read what others have to say. It's really a great way to stay updated with what's going on in our industry since things change every day.

Social media as AJ points out can be a good networking tool. You can keep up with tech development in other ways as well (e.g. CNN tech section, reading tech journals such as MSDN, Linux Journal).

I guess the next part of this would be where does one start? Common things to look for/look out for? Pitfalls? Like I said, I have some minor experience with social media, but not much.

I express a big, hearty YES for this one. Out of many platforms, I feel that Twitter can be a great resource for (aspiring) developers. Many well-known developers and the like are on Twitter, and give valuable information, links, and at at times, humor! From time to time, even I contribute a helpful coding tip here or there.

James, you could probably start with your LinkedIn network and search to see who's on Twitter. If you're interested in creating an account, you can follow them there. You can also seek the Twitter profiles of Treehouse teachers. What about authors of books that you've studied from, or personal colleagues? They may have Twitter accounts.

Again, if you do create a Twitter account, just begin to seek and follow profiles. In this way you can "dip your toes" and get a feel for what a steady stream of tweets is like. You may want to choose something other than the default "egg" avatar--just to show others that you're not a "suspect" or "spam" account. If you're not the type to interact too much with people on social media, well you can just read your feed.

I've tooted a big horn for Twitter here. I use Facebook as well, but I feel that platform is best for exchanges with friends and family. With Twitter, there's a broader network and access to people and ideas. Also, I've met a handful of people throughout the years via Twitter--one being a developer who knows a LOT more than I do!

I wish you much success with getting what you need from Twitter, or whichever social media platform you choose.