Twitter (or X) is like this space which almost feels like an alternate world on some days. Things keep happening and we just observe. This is particularly true for trends. For instance, the new thing on Twitter is the ‘Click Here’ arrow that everyone’s been sharing. There is, of course, some meaning and logic behind it.
For those who still haven’t noticed the images, here’s what it looks like.
The Alt text feature was introduced in 2016 with the intent to make the platform a more inclusive space. “Starting today, people using our iOS and Android apps can add descriptions – also known as alternative text – to images in Tweets. With this update, we’re empowering everyone to ensure content shared on Twitter is accessible to the widest possible audience.”
Now, however, with the ‘trend’, the intent is not so similar. People seem to be posting these images because it’s something that everyone else is doing. Some are even just using the alt text for dramatic effect – to share some message that they want to get attention to. This in-turn means misuse of the feature. Others are just posting the image without adding any alt text.
This just points to the fact that we don’t just follow content, we let it control us. We post and share things out of peer pressure, without even knowing what it means or how it impacts the internet. It’s almost a rate race to do things first.
Says so much about us as audiences – we are clearly failing.