Hillary Clinton has high hopes for the future of social media -- but we're not there just yet.
The former U.S. Secretary of State spoke at Twitter headquarters in San Francisco Monday night, capping off a day in Silicon Valley during which she also visited Facebook and Google.
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Clinton was interviewed on stage in front of a packed house of Twitter employees, and took time to discuss a variety of subjects, including female empowerment, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the rising costs of higher education.
The former Secretary of State also laid out some lofty expectations for the future of social media, an area she hopes will mature over time. "We have a lot of people communicating, but they're not listening and they're not looking for common ground that they could occupy together," she said. "It is a fact of social media right now that too often people use it as a weapon instead of an opportunity."
Clinton added that she hopes people will someday use social media for "real conversation" and "reconciliation," and not just for arguing and bickering over differences.
Hey, it's @HillaryClinton and @dickc at the @Twoffice! pic.twitter.com/66ic79M2VE— Twisitor (@twisitor) July 22, 2014
For her part, Clinton hasn't been a longtime social-media user. She joined Twitter just over a year ago, and doesn't have a verified Facebook page besides the one used to promote her new book.
However, Clinton likely understands the importance of social media, particularly when it comes to political campaigns. The 2008 election in which U.S. President Barack Obama edged out Clinton in the Democratic primary is now referred to by some as the "Facebook Election," a nod to Obama's strong social-media presence during the race.
Clinton is a probable frontrunner for the Democratic ticket in 2016, although she hasn't announced her candidacy yet. If she does make a run at the White House, there's no doubt that social media will be an important part of her campaign strategy.
The most packed I have seen our headquarters at Twitter in anticipation for @hillaryclinton to speak. #askhillary pic.twitter.com/bIeamC4lKO— Eugene Yi (@eugeneyi) July 22, 2014
Clinton also spent time talking about women in leadership roles, particularly in political and technology fields. Representative from Women Who Code, a nonprofit that aims to inspire women to pursue tech careers, also received a shoutout from Clinton at the beginning of her Q&A.
"Having women leaders sends a message to half the population of the world that they are truly included, and that their full participation is not only expected, but wanted," she said.
Katie Stanton, Twitter's vice-president of global media, moderated the discussion, and asked questions from well-known female Twitter users, including philanthropist Melinda Gates, actors Kerry Washington and Amy Poehler, and retired U.S. soccer star Julie Foudy.
.@HillaryClinton welcoming @GirlsWhoCode at Twitter pic.twitter.com/YSWQDjyMsA— Katie Penn (@ktopenn) July 22, 2014
The Secret Service dudes aren't wearing their visitor badges! Paging @SecurityGeorge!— Jana Messerschmidt (@janamal) July 22, 2014
Clinton also participated in a Facebook Q&A on Monday, which took place on the Facebook Page for her book. Read that conversation, here, and watch her on-stage conversation at Twitter, below: