Want to share some more thoughts on angry emoji react. “😠” Specifically, why I think it’s not a good thing for Facebook, and why I didn’t add it as a default option in Soapbox FE.

My theory is this:

First off, “😠” is typically used in agreement with a post. To be clear, the reaction is directed towards the content of the post, not the post author. Eg, someone shares a news article, “Huge Man Punches Innocent Old Lady”, and people “😠” react.
When a person receives “😠” reactions to a post they authored, it acts as positive reinforcement. “People agreed with me and gave me attention!”
This incentivizes people to post more negative content.
As a result, there is an increase in negative content on the site in general.
This causes viewers to see more negative content, and it affects their mood. It makes them angry!
Negative vibes. People are more primed to respond with anger towards people who challenge the accepted viewpoints. The overall experience becomes more negative.

I think it’s subtle, but important. I really want to try to do things better than the mainstream tech giants instead of just trying to copy them. I think free software often fails because it doesn’t try offer any additional value besides being an open source clone of something. Facebook is a dumpster fire and social media is ripe for improvement. So it’s something I’m considering carefully.