Less malice, more manners: Wishlist for the new Twitter

THE UNDERAGE OPTIMIST

- CHETAN BHAGAT

Twitter, the social media platform the world opines on, has a new owner. While certainly not the biggest social media platform, Twitter is arguably one of the most influential when it comes to shaping public opinions. Global leaders in politics, business, media and other industries and organisations are on Twitter.

But ask anyone who has been on Twitter for a while, and they will tell you about the vile toxicity on the platform. Even if one were to tweet, ‘I like the colour blue,’ someone would retort saying, ‘But what’s your problem with red?’ Sure, there are some checks in place. Users do get suspended or de-platformed if they violate community guidelines. One such decision that created controversy was the decision to permanently suspend the account of President Donald Trump (for reasons related to potential incitement of violence.) Accusations range from current Twitter being too arbitrary to being plain biased towards left-wingers. Hence, Twitter, where the world’s verbal punches are thrown, itself has become a punching bag for being biased and unaccountable. Given profits weren’t growing as well as expected meant the company wasn’t exactly the darling of investors either.