When was the last time your curiosity got the best of you and you ended up clicking the hidden replies tab on Twitter? It is truly one of the most disturbing sections on the internet only second to Reddit (Let’s not open that can of worms for now) The microblogging platform is known to host some of the most vile speaking personalities that need to be censored. Twitter’s response to hate speech and disturbing videos getting posted in the comment section of a tweet was the ‘Hide Reply’ feature which allowed the user to hide replies and diffuse the conversation simply. However, the hidden replies tab is posted right under a tweet which grabs the attention of curious users like me and at times ends up spoiling our day.
Animal abuse, grotesque killings, extreme sex videos, and racial slurs are some of the few things that a user can find under the hidden replies tab. What’s to be noted here is that Twitter was never this nasty before it was under Elon Musk’s leadership. Many users like me were accustomed to it being a platform for users to consume and participate in conversations surrounding breaking news, politics, celebrity discourse, and much more. In the current scenario, Twitter has become a mere shadow of what it used to be and is transforming into a dystopian wasteland.
The prominent reason for the influx of cringeworthy content doing the rounds on Twitter can be blamed on Elon’s infamous decision to unban thousands of accounts that were previously banned. Musk wished to become a champion of free speech with his reign on Twitter which quickly backfired in the form of horrible content making its way to the platform. As of now, there has been no official statement on whether Twitter will be launching a crackdown on this epidemic.
The notoriousness of hidden replies has grown to the point that a hero has risen from the filth – Hidden Replies Checker!!! – Yes, that’s the username of an account that checks the hidden replies for you and gives you a detailed description of what’s going on in the hidden replies section of any specific tweet. Spoiler Alert: almost all of the responses from the account start with a trigger warning which can paint the picture of how bad the situation right now is.
I’ve been a Twitter user for nearly a decade and this undoubtedly is the darkest phase of the platform I’ve witnessed. Twitter seems to have lost its charm under the weight of loathsome content which needs to be refined under strict guidelines. The next time you feel like clicking on the hidden replies section, make sure you’re ready to stomach some horrible things.
