3 ms·
"Why do tweets keep undoing people? The answer may lie in their hybrid nature. In form, the language of social media is written—but in style, it is far more lik
by BitwiseFool 6y ago
"Why do tweets keep undoing people? The answer may lie in their hybrid nature. In form, the language of social media is written—but in style, it is far more like speech."
I understand where the author is coming from in asserting that informal speech is being judged like writing. However, I think the answer lies in the fact that there is a sizeable number of people who actively want to take down anyone they deem problematic and short tweets just happen to be great fodder for this. Tweets being simple and conversational is secondary to wanting to cancel someone for having expressed problematic things. The online mob can easily dismiss context and extenuating circumstances regardless of the medium.
- jimmygrapes 6y agoBut... why does anybody listen?
- mc32 6y agoDoes a mob need to be nuanced? All they need is an excuse and Tweets provide their righteous selves all the reason and pols and companies have a tool to use to their advantage.
- smitty1e 6y agoFor as dynamic and complex a situation as humans on an internet, there is some underlying assertion in cancel culture that people are intellectually immutable and incapable of change. In contrast with physical aspects like gender, sexuality, and, occasionally, race. Whether this cultural direction proves fruitful in the mid- to long-term remains to be seen.