SocialMediaToday recently reported that, “Twitter’s taking the next steps with its full-screen, video reply option, with the launch of a live test on iOS that will enable users to choose ‘Quote Tweet with reaction’ to create and customize a unique Tweet take.” — which, huh?
Respond to Tweets with a Video or Picture
If you take a look at the “example flow” in the header image (as well as in the tweet below), it seems that users will be able to add a full-screen video or image to respond to a tweet, with the original tweet then embedded in the visual. So, now you can share your hot take/impulse responses… in video or picture form, which seems like a bit of an amplification over regular ol’ text form hot take/impulse responses.
According to SocialMediaToday, this new function “essentially takes the key elements from Fleets, [Twitter’s] failed Stories clone, and re-purposes them within the regular tweet experience.” I would add that this function also seems like a grab for TikTokers, as I’m guessing that the replies that do get generated will be more curated vids than they are authentic impulse responses or hot takes.
SocialMediaToday also reported that Twitter is simultaneously testing an updated text editor option for tweets, which would enable users to add more color and snap to replies… which, again — huh?
They wrote that the text editor option would “put more focus on visual, engaging responses.” This presumably “better aligns with evolving user behaviors, with TikTok now popularizing the full-screen, visual feed approach that all platforms are looking to adapt for their own purposes.” So, SocialMediaToday is clearly seeing the (obvious) TikTok connect, too.
“[W]ith Twitter also now displaying images at full-size in feeds, these new additions could be a great way to boost engagement and interaction, and shift the behaviors of tweet users towards more creative, colorful sharing processes,” SocialMediaToday stated.
Twitter: Looking to Freshen Up?
All this is interesting and well and good, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t also feel a little… desperate.
In the grand scheme of social media overall, Twitter has held it down for a long time now as the one vanilla social media space that remained sex worker friendly and true to a general-but-vague free speech mission. In reality though, those accolades are just relative — eg Relative to the discriminatory practices of other platforms, Twitter is soooo great. Or, relative to outright deleting, they *just* shadowban.
Fine.
But what if now, in 2022, Twitter happens to also be finding itself in the shoes of Grandma Facebook, with that young, sassy influencer TikTok (and who knows what’s already upstarting after TikTok) making the platform feel insecure about its frown lines and looking for some proverbial filler to help it get back in the game?
Nothing lasts forever… and if people wanted TikTok-like functions, wouldn’t they just go there? Are the people still using Twitter looking to see an injection of TikTok-ness in their feeds? Will a TikTok-like function make all us olds feel more relevant?
Only time will tell, I guess.
Tweet reaction videos can now start on Twitter!
Testing on iOS: when you tap the Retweet icon, choose “Quote Tweet with reaction” to create and customize your very own Tweet Take –– a reaction video (or photo) with the Tweet embedded. pic.twitter.com/1E30F8rKYh
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) January 6, 2022
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Erika is a sex positive people watcher (and writer). Email her at erika@ynotcam.com.
Header image via Twitter.
