Convo

Abstract

The way in which we talk to each other online is different from how we talk to each other in real life. Social media incentivizes conversations that are more emotional and tribal than in-person dialogue. (Brady et al., 2017; Rathje et al., 2021). In an effort to make online conversations less performative, I have created a tool, called Convo, that encourages individuals to have more logical, nuanced and civil conversations online. Through peer–to–peer feedback, Convo offers a crowdsourced and self–sustaining model for online interaction that benefits three key stakeholders: platforms, active posters and passive viewers. Convo encourages problematic online posters to either modify their posts or to take an "off-ramp" to direct messaging by showing peer feedback from other readers/viewers.