--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing about social media is that it…" description: "\"The thing about social media is that it is anonymous, so it can be much more vitriolic and extreme than normal media and yet it is there for everyone t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15c/tony-abbott-1939_believe_the-thing-about-social-media-is-that-it_1149449.jpg" --- # The thing about social media is that it is anonymous, so… ![“The thing about social media is that it is anonymous, so it can be much more vitriolic and extreme than normal media and yet it is there for everyone to see. It is kind of like electronic graffiti. The political process is accelerated and intense in a way that I don't believe it ever really has…” quote by Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15c/tony-abbott-1939_believe_the-thing-about-social-media-is-that-it_1149449.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15c/tony-abbott-1939_believe_the-thing-about-social-media-is-that-it_1149449.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/15c/tony-abbott-1939_believe_the-thing-about-social-media-is-that-it_1149449.jpg) > “The thing about social media is that it is anonymous, so it can be much more vitriolic and extreme than normal media and yet it is there for everyone to see. It is kind of like electronic graffiti. The political process is accelerated and intense in a way that I don't believe it ever really has been before.” [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Social media anonymity fuels harsher, more extreme discourse, making it like public graffiti that amplifies political intensity. **In simple terms:** Anonymous online platforms intensify harsh speech and speed up politics. Key Takeaway Recognize and mitigate toxic anonymity. Themes media politics anonymity digital culture Mood critical concerned Type observational analytical When to use this quote - political campaigning - online activism - media literacy - community moderation Key Concepts Echo chambers public discourse digital ethics Questions to Reflect On - How does anonymity affect truthfulness? - What safeguards can reduce vitriol? A Different Perspective Anonymity can also protect vulnerable voices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anonymous Vitriolic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anonymous-vitriolic-3241020/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Don't believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-t-believe/) [Extremes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremes/) [Graffiti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graffiti/) [Graffiti Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graffiti-political-3241021/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Intense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Media Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media-anonymous-3241019/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-media/) [Thing Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-social-515538/) [Twitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twitter/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [The Donald Trump of Washington ends up being portrayed by all of these news stories that happen to be sourced by anonymous leakers. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-donald-trump-of-washington-ends-up-being-portrayed-by-all-of/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [That's the thing with social media: it's a gift and a curse. It's cool on one level, but it's also bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-premier/that-s-the-thing-with-social-media-it-s-a-gift-and-a-curse-it-s-cool/) [DJ Premier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-premier/) > [I've said before I think the best thing about social media is that it brings people together and the worst thing about social media…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/limmy/i-ve-said-before-i-think-the-best-thing-about-social-media-is-that-it/) [Limmy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/limmy/) > [The great thing about social movements is everybody gets to be a part of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-wallis/the-great-thing-about-social-movements-is-everybody-gets-to-be-a-part/) [Jim Wallis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-wallis/) > [ The main thing \[of social media\] is it allows us to speak directly with our fans and customers, getting that immediate feedback, that conversation;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-walker/the-main-thing-of-social-media-is-it-allows-us-to-speak-directly-with/) [Karen Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-walker/) > [I read so many things because a colleague or a friend will post something, and I'll be able to learn a tremendous amount only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/i-read-so-many-things-because-a-colleague-or-a-friend-will-post/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [I think the great thing about social media is it gives people access to you on a totally personal level that they didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-wagner/i-think-the-great-thing-about-social-media-is-it-gives-people-access/) [Ashley Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-wagner/) > [You learn the hard way. 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Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Best thing about social networking is how it brings us all together so we can have lunch with our phone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/green-monk/best-thing-about-social-networking-is-how-it-brings-us-all-together/) [Green Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/green-monk/) > [The great thing about social media was how it gave a voice to voiceless people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-ronson/the-great-thing-about-social-media-was-how-it-gave-a-voice-to/) [Jon Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-ronson/) > [At one time in the mid-'70s I became the president of the Boston-Cambridge chapter of the World Future Society. Because I'd been in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laffoley/at-one-time-in-the-mid-70s-i-became-the-president-of-the-boston/) [Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laffoley/) > [“There is no such thing as a social crack user.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carr/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-social-crack-user/) [David Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carr/) > [When you get little comments here and there, it's pretty easy to ignore. But then when you open up your phone and always the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/weston-mckennie/when-you-get-little-comments-here-and-there-it-s-pretty-easy-to/) [Weston McKennie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/weston-mckennie/) ## More by Tony Abbott > [And the commitment that I've been giving to the Australian people is that there'll be no surprises and no excuses under a Coalition government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/and-the-commitment-that-i-ve-been-giving-to-the-australian-people-is/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [To move past fear is a cliche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/to-move-past-fear-is-a-cliche/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [I don't think it's a very Christian thing to come in by the back door rather than the front door,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/i-don-t-think-it-s-a-very-christian-thing-to-come-in-by-the-back-door/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [Whether carbon dioxide is quite the environmental villain that some people make it out to be is not yet proven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/whether-carbon-dioxide-is-quite-the-environmental-villain-that-some/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [I also think that if you want to put a price on carbon, why not just do it with a simple tax? 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The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/what-will-most-certainly-happen-is-that-there-will-be-very-clear-and/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [All of the people who are using their BlackBerries or their iPhones, Facebook, all of the people who are sitting in cafes and hotels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/all-of-the-people-who-are-using-their-blackberries-or-their-iphones/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [I think there is no doubt that the advent of 24/7 news channels, which are voracious in their demand for constant new content, has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/i-think-there-is-no-doubt-that-the-advent-of-24-7-news-channels-which/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [The only thing I wouldn't do is sell my arse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/the-only-thing-i-wouldn-t-do-is-sell-my-arse/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [Once people come to Australia, they join the team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/once-people-come-to-australia-they-join-the-team/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [I don't think that my particular religious convictions should be held against me in this campaign any more than the Prime Minister's lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/i-don-t-think-that-my-particular-religious-convictions-should-be-held/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) [Explore all 196 Tony Abbott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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