Receiving a thumbs-down on social media doesn’t push people away from a conversation, but instead tends to encourage them to post more while softening their tone. Findings suggest that allowing downvotes on social platforms might help moderate extreme discussions without silencing individual voices.

Receiving a thumbs-down on social media doesn’t push people away from a conversation, but instead tends to encourage them to post more while softening their tone. Findings suggest that allowing downvotes on social platforms might help moderate extreme discussions without silencing individual voices.