Credit: Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash
Hey, did you do the reading?
Bet you thought you’d left that question behind in Psych 101. It’s making a comeback — but this time Twitter’s asking, instead of some random guy from your lecture.
The app is testing a new feature that aims to check trigger-happy tweeters: If a user retweets an article without opening it, a prompt will pop up encouraging them to read it first.
Think before you tweet
Trolls, Reply Guys, literal Nazis – Twitter has taken plenty of flack over the years for not addressing some of its darker demons. But the new test is Twitter’s latest baby step toward changing that.
- Late last year, Twitter tested a feature allowing some users to hide specific replies. The platform took it a step further in May, giving some users more flexibility in limiting replies.
- After conspiracy-theory Twitter had a field day with COVID-19 misinformation, the app began labeling tweets with “disputed content” – slapping warnings on everyone from 5G truthers to President Trump.
- Last month, Twitter rolled out a feature prompting people to revise replies it deemed potentially harmful.
Twitter’s tighten-the-screws strategy isn’t universal among social behemoths — Facebook has taken a more laissez-faire approach.
And that’s putting it mildly
Mark Zuckerberg’s hands-off style on political speech has landed him in hot water with just about everyone — his own staff, the scientists he supports, and now Joe Biden.
