“I don’t want to annoy people,” said Derek Guy, the menswear writer from California behind the Twitter account @dieworkwear, which in recent weeks has been unavoidable for some parts. large Twitter users—much to their disappointment. “I’m not the one who decides to go into everyone’s timeline,” Guy added. “That’s just how the algorithm works.”
Guy’s sudden popularity on Twitter proved a double-edged sword. He’s received a lot of positive feedback, including from people who feel they’ve learned to dress better for the chance to feature his advice in their timelines, but he’s also been criticized. hate a lot. Attention changed the way he used Twitter. “My timeline now, I can’t even keep up with it,” he said. “I don’t read all the comments, but a lot of the comments I do read are hostile.”
Such a dramatic shift in how people deal with online popularity and notoriety may require us to change the way we think about the impact of social media, Cobbe said. “A lot of people have commented on the algorithmic issue of platforms promoting hate speech, conspiracy theories and content that can be harmful to people’s mental health,” she said. “But the less talked about side of this is that people can amplify their thoughts to audiences they might not expect. Sometimes that can help bring some awareness to what needs it, or it can give someone the opportunity they’re looking for.”
Suddenly being exposed to millions of audiences, mostly strangers, while you’ve previously posted to a handful of friends is not an uncommon experience on social media. For example, TikTok is praised for its algorithm capable of taking unknowns out of the ether and turning them into stars overnight. more children want to be a YouTuber than astronauts. But that requires an opt-in. Twitter users like Guy don’t ask for it—and they’re not always sure they want it. And unlike those who previously captured the collective Twitter attention, these users aren’t necessarily doing anything to garner the scrutiny that comes with it. “Most people, when they’re the Twitter protagonist of the day, it’s almost universally negative,” Guy said.
To realize this, Twitter users may have to be a little more careful when they tweet. There are signs that are already happening. Some users, when faced with Guy’s unsolicited tweets in their timelines, chose to either attack him or mock him with their followers, tagging him in. Others were equally frustrated but deliberately avoided tagging him—like a search for the show “guys in men’s clothes”. But the third group chose a different tactic: Instead of howling about the intrusion, they moderated their approach. A bunch of people have quietly blocked or muted Guy’s account—and he doesn’t know unless he clicks on their profile.
It’s a better, more thoughtful way to handle the challenge, Cobbe says. “For many people, suddenly being exposed to a large and not necessarily receptive audience on a platform like Twitter or TikTok can be a bewildering and frustrating experience.” This quiet approach doesn’t add to that bewilderment.
It’s better to be a change from the platforms themselves, she added. “We need them to be more careful with who they refer—especially if it leads to them being abused.” If companies fail to do so, Cobbe has a solution: “We should use laws, regulations and other mechanisms to create them.”
