Twitter wants you to be mindful of the way you engage with others on the app by taking a moment to reconsider what you say in your replies.
In May 2021, Twitter announced the expansion of its latest prompt feature, which asks you to reconsider your replies before hitting send if its algorithm detects potentially harmful or offensive language.
Here's what you should know about the new prompt and how it works...
The 2020 Twitter Prompts Test
The 2021 launch of Twitter's new-and-improved prompt follows a testing period in 2020 that encouraged you to pause and reconsider your replies if they could be potentially harmful or offensive. Twitter considers this to be content that includes "insults, strong language, or hateful remarks".
Twitter found success in this experiment, noting on its blog that 34% of people who were prompted either revised their initial reply or deleted it. It also found that 11% fewer offensive replies were seen from users after being prompted once.
As a result, Twitter is now rolling out an improved version of the feature, starting with iOS and Android users who have English-language settings enabled on their accounts.
How Twitter Mean Tweets Prompts Work
When you are about to hit send on a tweet that may be viewed as mean by others, the feature will intervene to ask you whether you "Want to review this before Tweeting?".
The prompt shows you a preview of your intended tweet. You can then choose to send the tweet as is, edit your tweet, or choose not to send it at all.
It works similarly to Twitter's read before retweeting prompt—acting as a nudge or recommendation rather than forcing the user to change their behavior.
The Feature Remains a Work in Progress
As is often the case with new tech features, the prompt is yet to be perfected.
As of May 2021, the feature only applies to replies, not general tweets that tag another person.
On the bright side, Twitter's algorithms have improved to better detect when a seemingly offensive reply is just sarcasm or friendly banter. Overall, Twitter says it will continue to improve the feature going forward.
Improving Mental Health Awareness on Twitter
These prompts are a noteworthy move from Twitter, considering the growing conversations around mental health awareness on the app.
It is also a necessary one, as Twitter has faced backlash for letting abusive behavior slide.