Toxic Twitter: A Big Hello to My Detractors

In the great amp8220What did you do in the Brexit war Daddyamp8221 discussion I will be able to say I was a proud remainer amp160It doesnamp8217t really matter why or rather it does but this isnamp8217t the time or the place for thatI suspect by far the majority of adland is in the same camp amp160I once saw a piece suggesting that over 90 of us metropolitan elitist workshy black Tshirt wearing shallow snowflakes favoured remaining in the EUOne who is definitely not in this majority is the futurologist Tracey Follows amp160I have met Tracey and on the basis of a couple of short conversations I thought she was great amp160Tracey is a committed and articulate leaverLast week on Twitter we had an interesting exchangeThe nub of it was that Tracey says she gets emails from leavers in adland thanking her for standing up for what they believe in and making their case so wellamp160 This got me wondering why these people donamp8217t feel able to make their own case amp160Tracey maintains that theyamp8217re worried about losing out on promotions or jobs as a result of their opinions amp160Theyamp8217re more comfortable keeping their views to themselvesIf thatamp8217s the case and I have no reason to think it isnamp8217t then itamp8217s disgraceful even discriminatory amp160Why should anyoneamp8217s private views on a divisive issue make any difference to his or her suitability for a jobBut thereamp8217s an unpleasant parallel issue stopping debate in social media and Iamp8217m not now talking specifically about Brexit fear of being attacked in publicEngaging on Twitter feels a bit like going to a Gary Vaynerchuck event knowing that you think heamp8217s talking rubbish on something you happen to know about but not being prepared to grab the microphone and take him on in public while surrounded by his adoring admirersThe great theory behind social media platforms is that they provide an opportunity for debate and discussion amp160But somewhere along the way theyamp8217ve become toxic a place where far too often if you donamp8217t agree with a particular opinion youamp8217re opening yourself to abuse threats and worse from those on the other side of any debate amp160Like I imagine many others Iamp8217ve personally experienced this myself and itamp8217s not much funMass media forms have always contained some limited debate and discussion Newspapers have letters pages TV and radio have feedback shows but of course these are as nothing compared with the scale and ferocity of SMItamp8217s not just scale amp160To write a letter takes time and some trouble amp160You get the chance to think about why you disagree with the other party amp160And letters are editedSM is a kneejerk mediumamp160 I read something I disagree I hate I threaten I move on all in a matter of secondsItamp8217s ludicrous that the SM platforms are not subject to regulation and thus feel no urgent need to do anything beyond the basicGoogleamp8217s CEO Sundar Pichai admitted this week that his company knows they have much work to do with YouTube amp8220to establish amp8216better frameworksamp8217 around what it considers hate speechamp8221Advertisers have in the past praised Google for its reaction to sorting out issues around inappropriate YouTube sitesamp160 It would be good if Twitter and Facebook followed suit and treated the issue with more urgencyYes there are AI solutions but maybe they should consider encouraging some degree of selfreflection either via a form of paidfor subscription or introducing a system whereby certain triggers prompt a message to think before you postSome will still spread their venom but some might pauseIf what is now a localized infection turns into something altogether more widespread as seems to be happening these platforms will be abandoned by both users and eventually advertisersI donamp8217t always agree with Tracey but we should both feel able to express our views and opinions without obscene attacks and insults amp160Those who feel anxious about expressing their views should not feel like that amp160Listen and learnClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160

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Toxic Twitter: A Big Hello to My Detractors

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Brian Jacobs

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