What makes Twitter so toxic? How can you protect yourself
Twitter is gaining popularity and attracting people from diverse age groups; however, it is also becoming a platform for increasing trolls, verbal abuse, spam, and hate. A lot of users are complaining that Twitter is becoming toxic each passing day.
The random accounts on Twitter have increased and are being used for spamming comments on other people’s tweets, posting inappropriate content, spreading fake news, and much more.
In this article, I am going to talk about why Twitter is so toxic and how you can protect yourself from it.
Contents
- Is Twitter the most toxic social media?
- 4 Reasons Why Twitter is So Toxic
- Fake News and Misinformation
- Limited Character Count
- Increased Trolling and Hate Speech
- There is too much editorial censorship
- Why You Should Avoid Twitter?
- Are people addicted to Twitter?
- How to Deal with Twitter Toxicity?
- Block or Mute an Account
- Mute Words and Hashtags
- Think Hard Before You React
- Have An Action Plan To Respond To Twitter Abuse
- Be Human and Don’t Be Afraid
- Ask for Contact Information
Yes, one can accept that Twitter is one of the most toxic platforms on the Internet. As it receives heavy trolling, hate, harassment, and verbal abuse through tweets. The feature of limited character count that makes the platform unique, is also the reason that makes it so toxic.
Users are unable to express themselves and their opinions with a limited word count and it leads to misunderstandings.
People are too insensitive online and Twitter makes it so easy to troll by retweeting the posts from anonymous accounts which raises the spread of fake news and misinformation.
To conclude, a major chunk of the population considers Twitter toxic.
4 Reasons Why Twitter is So Toxic
Now, let us have a look at some of the reasons why Twitter is considered to be toxic as there are several reasons for the same.
Fake News and Misinformation
As we are aware, social media platforms have become a hub for carrying fake news and misinformation. Twitter recently came into the spotlight for spreading fake news all over the public. With the growing population on Twitter, the spread of misinformation is widening.
Even after the increased efforts by Twitter to control misinformation and fake news by introducing updated policies, suspending accounts, blocking posts that carry fake news, etc., it will take longer than expected for the platform to become entirely safe.
When fake news is born through popular social media platforms, the particular platform becomes a major public concern, for it gives rise to more misinformation. And thus makes a platform toxic for people.
Limited Character Count
As we are aware that Twitter provides a limited character count in its tweets. It recently increased the character count from 140 to 280 and we don’t think it’s still enough.
However, it’s the app’s defining feature that makes it unique from other social media platforms but it also gives rise to toxicity on the platform.
As with limited characters to write, people have to shorten their opinions and tweet which can lead to misunderstanding and confusion.
Users on Twitter are unable to express themselves fully and write their opinions at lengths therefore, it leads to arguments.
The platform includes many famous personalities like celebrities, players, and politicians and when they voice out regarding a certain topic, the limited character count can hinder what they are trying to say to the public.
A simple misunderstanding from the readers can lead to severe hate, trolls, and harassment.
Increased Trolling and Hate Speech
As we read above, the character count is one of the main reasons that makes Twitter toxic as it gives rise to miscommunications and thus leads to trolls and haters. That there a question arises whether Twitter is safe or not.
People get offended way too easily on platforms like Twitter over tweets that didn’t intend hate and weren’t sensitive. In real life, people are much more conscious and they think before they voice out a disagreement.
A simple misunderstanding can lead to several trolling and hateful reactions towards a person that had no intention of it in the first place and thus can cause discomfort.
When people comment/reacts online, they don’t consider how their hateful words can affect a person mentally. Twitter witnesses trolls and heated arguments more than any other social media platform.
As here people get offended way too quickly and users anonymously spam hate comments under a tweet and retweet the post from their accounts making it a huge thing.
This makes Twitter quite toxic as here users have to give in deep thought while constructing their opinions.
There is too much editorial censorship
Because Twitter is banning accounts that are considered spam, abuse, or spreading fake news, the editorial censorship on Twitter is rising. There is a policy for everything on Twitter as platforms like these can’t be lawless.
However, the punishment should be more than just banning or suspending, especially for people who send threats online and verbal abuse.
These things do help slow down the toxicity but also, becomes a boon as users have to carefully examine before they share anything on Twitter as it will be verified by agents that hold the power to remove the content from the platform.
If your account is banned by mistake Read our guide on How to recover your suspended Twitter account.
Why You Should Avoid Twitter?
Twitter is speedily becoming a hub for spam, trolls, abuse, etc. Anonymous users spam comments and retweet a post on Twitter making it harder for anyone to post their opinions.
There is very little to say on Twitter with its 280-character count limit and a lot that can be misunderstood through it.
People spread hate, say insensitive things, send threats, and much more which is making the platform more toxic each passing day. Therefore, people are switching from Twitter to other social media platforms which are not surrounded by a toxic and negative environment.
Are people addicted to Twitter?
Twitter is a social media platform and users often get addicted to platforms online very easily. The features of Twitter are addictive, people chat a lot, share their thoughts, etc. And thus, it can become an addiction if not handled properly.
How to Deal with Twitter Toxicity?
If you are new to Twitter and have encountered the toxicity on Twitter for the first time then, you must definitely know how to tackle it.
There are several ways that users can use to keep the trolls and hate away from their accounts.
You can block users that comment on anything that you find offensive, you can mute words and hashtags from your account, and you can also make use of the Twitter blockchain with which users can block multiple accounts in one go.
Now, let’s have a look at all the ways using which you can deal with toxicity on Twitter:
Block or Mute an Account
The best way is to block or mute the account that is posting offensive tweets or trolling you on Twitter.
If you block them, they will no longer be able to communicate with you such as your tweets won’t be visible to them, and they won’t be able to comment, retweet or message on your account.
And if you mute an account, their tweets will be muted which means they won’t appear in your feed; however, you will still be following them.
Related Post: How to Block Someone on Twitter on a Computer or Mobile Device
Here’s how you can mute words or hashtags on Twitter, this way you will not receive tweets on your feed that includes those words and hashtags:
- Open the Twitter app on your device,
- Then, tap on your Profile icon which is placed at the top-left corner of the screen.
- Then, tap on the ‘Settings and Privacy’ option from the side menu that opens.
- Now, click on the ‘Privacy and safety option. A new menu will open up.
- You will see a ‘Mute and Block’ option, tap on it.
- Then, select the ‘Muted Words’ option. A screen will open up displaying that you have no muted words for now. You have to tap on the ‘Plus’ sign which is placed at the bottom-right corner of the same screen.
- Then, simply add the word or phrase or hashtag, or username that you would want to mute on your account. Lastly, click the ‘save’ button.
Think Hard Before You React
If you are someone who has been using social media platforms for a long then, you must have learned the lesson that it is not always wiser to respond to a hate/aggressive comment with the same energy. If you do then, you will be doing the same thing as those trollers/haters.
I would recommend that you take a breath, think about it, and then, wisely construct your reply. Or else, you can severely damage your reputation online. For those pity-hate comments, it’s best to ignore them.
Have An Action Plan To Respond To Twitter Abuse
There are not just hate comments on Twitter, but also threats that directly abuse and harass a user. For such verbal threats and abuse, one must always have an action plan laid out to tackle them.
Just as companies have plans and policies of how they will handle physical threats, similarly they should also include an action plan of how they will handle threats online.
Be Human and Don’t Be Afraid
Being a user of Twitter, everyone must be considerate while dealing with hate comments as well. You don’t always have to get into an argument that is simply there for attention-seeking.
However, you can also, wisely handle the hate in a kinder way rather than being aggressive and just simply, drive empathy towards your account.
You don’t have to fear while dealing with trolls and hate on Twitter. Be upfront and voice out your opinions and if someone disagrees, simply thank them for their point of view and move on.
Ask for Contact Information
If you are a business owner and receiving hate from customers then, rather than ignoring or aggressively replying you can simply, ask them for their contact information to better resolve their complaint.
Oftentimes, when a business has asked their unsatisfied customers for their contact information, they have gone quiet and stopped the hate.
However, it depends if this will work or not on the type of business you are running.
Faqs
If you want to take more control over who has access to your tweets and who can interact with you, consider switching to a protected account. You can do so from Settings and privacy in Twitter’s menu: Tap Privacy and safety, then Audience and tagging, and check the box next to Protect your Tweets.30-Nov-2021
– 1 — 280 characters aren’t enough. Twitter’s a space where people can say whatever’s on their minds.
– 2 — There is too much trolling and hate.
– 3 — There is too much editorial censorship.
– 4 Traits of Personal Growth We Take For Granted.
It’s addictive Like other social networks, checking Twitter can be addictive. It can become the activity you turn to habitually whenever you’re not occupied with something else. A Twitter addiction might not be as damaging as a drug addiction, but it’s a compulsion you don’t need in your life.11-Jan-2017
It’s addictive. Like other social networks, checking Twitter can be addictive. It can become the activity you turn to habitually whenever you’re not occupied with something else. A Twitter addiction might not be as damaging as a drug addiction, but it’s a compulsion you don’t need in your life.11-Jan-2017
Limited Character Count. While a 280-character limit is the defining feature of Twitter, it can also be considered one of the reasons why is Twitter so toxic. The limited character count that users get to voice their opinion can often lead to incomplete thoughts on the platform, creating confusion and misunderstanding.21-Oct-2021
Limited Character Count. While a 280-character limit is the defining feature of Twitter, it can also be considered one of the reasons why is Twitter so toxic. The limited character count that users get to voice their opinion can often lead to incomplete thoughts on the platform, creating confusion and misunderstanding.21-Oct-2021
Conclusion
Twitter is gaining popularity and attracting people from diverse age groups; however, it is also becoming a platform for increasing trolls, verbal abuse, spam, and hate. A lot of users are complaining that Twitter is becoming toxic each passing day.
