Thread by @MollyMcKew

The rage-engage cycle of posting content to denounce it is a key part of how malign narratives gain traction on social & traditional media

Stop incentivizing toxic, malign content

My new post on #defusingdisinfo, lessons not learned from 2016 for @SURfdn
standuprepublic.com/what-lessons-h…

How do you break the rage-engage cycle?

Choose your battles, and push back on content or narratives with methods that don’t elevate the original content

Breaking the engagement models can disincentivize feedback loops and the disinformation economy

Some simple guidance:

- don’t engage when you are angry

- always ask what the *purpose* of content is

- be aware of the source, esp of videos

- if you feel it’s important to comment on bad content, take screenshots instead of replying, retweeting/reposting, linking. This breaks the amplification

- don’t use hashtags when you disagree with them

- don’t retweet or engage accounts that are known amplifiers and generators of disinformation (yes, this includes the president and more than a few members of Congress)

- If it’s important to comment on false or inflammatory content, instead of pith, explain the purpose of the disinformation — what it wants you to believe versus what is actually true. Giving people the “why” helps them question not only that piece of content, but future content

- consider unfollowing, muting, or blocking people who you believe to be consistent purveyors of deceptive narrative and information. Downtrend and disincentivize.

Break the cycle of rage-driven content & incentives. We don’t need to be the simple systems that algorithms expect

And again: it’s never too late to stop RTing the president, which is exactly what he wants you do.