Social media platforms currently rely heavily on positive engagement metrics like likes and shares, creating an imbalance where low-quality or misleading content can still gain visibility. Users lack a direct way to express disapproval beyond comments or reporting extreme cases, which can lead to unchecked misinformation and toxic content thriving on outrage engagement.
One way to address this could be by introducing a down-vote button alongside existing positive engagement options on platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Similar to Reddit's system but adapted for mainstream social media, users could down-vote posts they find misleading or irrelevant. The system would track both up and down votes to create a net engagement score that influences content visibility in algorithms. Down-votes would remain anonymous to prevent retaliation, with safeguards against coordinated campaigns.
This approach could benefit three main groups:
For platforms, this could mean increased user engagement and better content moderation through crowd-sourcing. Advertisers might prefer environments with higher-quality engagement metrics, while content creators could benefit from more authentic audience signals despite initial resistance to negative feedback.
A simpler version could start with a limited test group where down-votes affect post visibility but aren't publicly displayed. The system would need:
Unlike Reddit's central voting system or YouTube's dislike button, this approach would be specifically designed for image-heavy and rapid-fire platforms, focusing on content sorting rather than public vote displays. The key would be balancing feedback utility with creator retention and preventing harassment.
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Digital Product