Social media allows us to connect share and communication in a way we could not envisage even 20 years ago. Twitter allows us to broadcast ideas, opinions, and updates to networks of friends, family, colleagues, and even strangers in an instant. One problem with tweeting (or tweeting immediately) is that it makes you shoot yourself in the foot.
We’ve all done it, hit tweet before a second, minutes, or even hours later. Tweeting requires care and consideration not only for the message you put out, but also because otherwise something like: forgetting to put an apostrophe at the end of a word, a view you used to have but no longer do, or a view you may think doesn’t fully reflect your change in viewpoint, could be misinterpreted by someone reading your tweet. Though there is the option of ‘delete tweet,’ it’s never really gone on the internet.
Think Before You Tweet
The first step to tweeting without regret is simply to pause and think carefully before posting. Emotions can run high online, especially in response to trending news or provocative tweets from others. If you find yourself outraged, amused, or otherwise impassioned by content, there’s a high chance you’ll respond reactively without considering the implications.
Reign in the impulse to vent your immediate thoughts. Sleep on heated issues before commenting publicly to allow yourself time to process information and form a reasoned, constructive argument if you still feel the need to contribute the next day. For lighter content, check whether your humorous observation could land differently than intended.
Adopting a slower approach is crucial. You may have built a Twitter following based on off-the-cuff tweets that perfectly capture a zeitgeist moment, but the stakes get higher as your platform and reach expand. Fair or not, there is greater scrutiny of online opinions expressed by those in positions of influence or leadership. If you do make an impulsive post that you later regret, services like TweetEraser can offer a way to remove the tweet quickly, but it’s always better to prevent hasty decisions in the first place.
Understand Your Digital Footprint
To inform responsible tweeting habits, it’s important to comprehend the longevity of your digital footprint i.e. the accumulated trail of data you leave across web platforms and services. That throwaway joke likely exists in multiple places:
- On your Twitter profile visible to your followers.
- In the feeds of users who retweeted it.
- In Google search results.
- On sites that aggregate tweets.
- In Twitter’s firehose of public data for developers.
- In the libraries of organizations that archive tweets for posterity.
Unlike a spoken comment, your tweets can resurface years later when the context around their intent may be lost. Consider how phrases, sentiments, or stances may age. If you wouldn’t be comfortable standing by the statement for the rest of your career, consider rewording or avoiding posting.
Develop An Authentic Voice
There is an art to finding an authentic voice on Twitter. The platform culture tends towards sarcasm and subversion but straight-talking sincerity can set you apart while still engaging audiences. Take time to nail down messaging that sounds like your brand rather than approximating how you think a founder, investor, or thought leader conveys ideas online.
This avoids the friction of switching between multiple tones as different subjects arise in your feed. If you tweet about work initiatives, personal life anecdotes, and social issues, consistently align these to the same principles and style. An authentic voice minimizes self-censorship regarding tweet deletion as you develop content that credibly represents your perspective rather than chasing trends and baiting controversy.
Create A Private Channel for Draft Tweets
If you second guess whether to post something, a useful technique is running tweets past a trusted contact first. This could be a colleague, friend, or family member who aligns with your values and gives frank feedback on proposed tweets.
Rather than constantly @ mentioning them for approval, create a private Twitter list containing just their handle. Compose tweets but instead of hitting the usual ‘Tweet’ button, select the list name next to it. This posts the draft tweet only to accounts on your private list. If it meets their approval, you can then tweet publicly with confidence. If not, suggestions for improvement can inform the final post.
How to Delete and Unsend Embarrassing Tweets
Despite your best intentions, you may still end up posting tweets that warrant removal even with all the above precautions in place. Here is a guide to minimizing damage once an errant tweet is live.
Delete ASAP
If you spot a problematic tweet on your profile, delete it immediately before it amasses impressions and engagement. Unlike other social networks like LinkedIn which allow soft deletion where content remains visible to you, Twitter erases tweets from their system after removal. So act fast as although caching of data still means copies may well exist online, deleting rapidly gives the content less chance of spreading.
Refrain From Editing Before Deleting
You might be tempted to quickly edit a tweet before removing it to resolve the issue but this can draw more eyeballs through notifications alerting others to changes. Instead, delete first then repost an amended or clarified new tweet. The only exception would be fixing an obvious spelling error but proceed with caution.
Use an Unsend Tool as a Last Resort
A range of third-party applications exists that claim to allow unsending of tweets i.e. removing them from your profile AND the feeds of any users who have already interacted with them. However, be aware that this technology is unreliable. Services tend to exploit loopholes like reporting tweets as sensitive to force content removal so may stop working if Twitter closes these workaround methods.
How Future Tech Could Minimise Tweet Regret
Looking ahead, innovations on the horizon suggest the current paradigm around posting and then deleting online content may shift to give users more direct control.
Built-In Edit Buttons
In September 2022, Twitter announced it had been testing an edit feature that would let users amend tweets after publication. Positioned as a fix for typos, it could equally allow tweaks to phrasing that may otherwise have prompted the removal of a post. However, safeguards like only allowing edits in a short timeframe after posting aim to maintain tweet authenticity and avoid manipulation of viral content.
Blockchain-Verified Posts
Startups are exploring how blockchain technology could enable social platforms where users own their content. The software guarantees tweets remain unaltered from posting by storing them permanently on a distributed ledger. While still deletable by the original tweeter, this immutable record would always preserve the initial phrasing for reference. Readers can verify tweets against the blockchain record giving confidence in their accuracy.
AI Assistant to Refine Tweets
Advancements in AI writing tools hint at the future potential for in-app assistants who review tweets before posting. Language models trained on your unique writing style may flag phrasing that seems out of character or make sentence-level edits to improve clarity. This could mitigate impulsive posts that are reinterpreted negatively or simply too vague. The AI effectively acts as a digital filter encouraging reflection before publishing.
Conclusion
Twitter empowers unprecedented direct interaction between individuals, organizations, and even world leaders. This freedom of expression must be balanced with responsibility around posting content mindfully rather than reactively firing off tweets you later regret.
Considering the context, evaluating your voice, and even utilizing emerging technologies can help sustain an authentic presence. But fundamentally, applying discretion before clicking a tweet remains the ultimate tactic to avoid the need to ever hit delete.
