Twitter Offers a Way to Dodge Toxic Threads

Twitter is among the biggest social media platforms in the world and one of the most powerful conversation engines out there. Each day, millions of people from everywhere around the world come here to learn the latest news, speak on the topics that are important to them, or simply hear what other users have to say. Oh, and also to look at the photos of super cute animals!

However, not all conversations held on the platform are friendly and respectful, and some of the threads one can get tied up to through tags tend to be mean and downright toxic. While the company has always promoted positive conversations among its key priorities, Twitter is frequently accused of enabling discussions full of hate speech, harassment, and verbal offense.

As a way to become a safer and healthier place to spend your Internet time on, Twitter has introduced a vast array of tools and features that allow users to block spiteful and aggressive opponents, as well as to mute tweets that include certain words, phrases, tags, or usernames. Unfortunately, these efforts have been only partially effective; people still often find themselves dragged back into toxic discourses they have no wish to engage in.

To fix this, Twitter is reportedly preparing to roll out a new feature that will let users dismiss irritating threads for good. Rather than simply silencing alerts, the new option will allow you to quit a conversation entirely, blocking your presence there and preventing others from tagging you. All without notifying the others you have done so! The “Leave this conversation” tool is still under development, but there is a good chance we might see it go live in the next few months.

Are you excited about the news? Have you ever been drawn into a toxic conversation on Twitter? Tell us what you think in the comments below!