It's good to see that people are concerned about bullying and abuse on social media #BeKind. I'm afraid that no amount of concern will have a large impact though, because the algorithm and therefore the newsfeed will continue to privilege outrage and conflict over all else...
... My view, for what it's worth, is that every individual should worry about their own conduct and think on that. If you focus on everyone else, the 'everyone else' you see will be what the algorithm serves you, which is designed to rile you up. So just think, before...
... sending a tweet or posting or whatever, is it kind, does it assume good faith, will it add light and not heat to whatever debate you are engaging in. Most importantly, apply the 'neighbour' rule: do to others as you would want to be done to yourself!...
... This won't solve the things people are worried about, because we are stuck with the algorithm and its centrifugal effect in amplifying unkind behaviour and tweets. But it might help a bit, and leading by example works...
... Not saying I'm perfect by the way! Before people point out I'm not. Anyway, I wrote more about this here if you're interested prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/how-t…
