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Twitter has to be one of the most dystopian apps ever created. Not just from a UX perspective, but from a cultural perspective as well. Some of the most evil people I’ve ever come across are avid users of Twitter and wield it like a sword to destroy people’s lives. I’m confident it’s been a net negative for society.

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Are Twitter, Facebook and Reddit meaningfully different in this regard?

I think they have different affinities to different demographics, but the toxic behavior is quite similar among all of them.

Is there something about Twitter in particular that makes it particularly toxic, or is it inherent to platforms where people compete for attention in the public square?

I'd argue that the lack of characters per tweet is what makes Twitter so toxic, since it essentially destroys the ability to convey nuance.

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