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Life can be tough enough without having to face hatred on the Internet. Now you can see a kinder view of the world with a new Chrome extension called #ChooseKind.
This extension is designed to block hateful posts on social media and replace them with kind messages. That’s right, if you’re tired of reading mean posts, the good news is that you don’t have to anymore. Instead of the Internet bringing you down, it can be a source of inspiration and encouragement.
Rather than seeing hate on social media sites, you can block negative posts and replace them with messages of kindness by using #ChooseKind.
If you want to see what you’re missing, you can show what’s being blocked by the extension. But you don’t have to see it if you don’t want to…
#ChooseKind was released this week as a joint project of Google and Lionsgate in advance of tomorrow’s release of the movie Wonder, based on the best-selling book of the same name. The movie, starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, is about a boy who has grown up with severe facial deformities and is going to school for the first time in middle school.
Here’s the trailer for the movie:
The companies celebrated the release of the movie and the extension with this tweet:
What if the internet could be a kinder place? Inspired by #WonderTheMovie, the #ChooseKind Chrome Extension will change the way you see the web by replacing abusive comments with positive and uplifting words. Get it now here: https://t.co/fvHicXSwph pic.twitter.com/NyT12JlUQf
— Wonder (@WonderTheMovie) November 14, 2017
How to Use the #ChooseKind Extension
To add the #ChooseKind extension to Chrome, go to #ChooseKind in the Chrome store and download it.
After you’ve downloaded the extension, a space helmet icon should appear in your tool bar at the top of your screen. Click on the space helmet to sign into your Google account.
After you sign in, you’ll be given a choice of Kind, Kinder and Kindest. Choose which one you prefer.
(You can also turn off #ChooseKind, if you don’t want to block the meanness.)
Then click on a social media icon to go to Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
If you come across a hateful post, it should be blocked by #ChooseKind and replaced by a kind message of inspiration.
You’re also given the option to see what you’re missing, if you’d like. Hover your cursor over the blocked message, then click Show to display the message that’s being blocked.
Click Keep Hidden to go back to the message of kindness.
=> Don’t Miss Random Acts of Christmas Kindness – Make Someone’s Day!
What Else You Should Know
Note that not all hateful messages are blocked by #ChooseKind. The extension uses “machine learning technology” to detect posts with hateful speech, which may not catch every instance of meanness.
But #ChooseKind can certainly make the world of social media a much nicer place to visit.
If you see a mean post when you’re using #ChooseKind, you can manually block it by clicking on the Hide button in the corner.
This extension also may be a reminder for those who post hateful messages on social media. They may realize that their posts may be blocked by this extension and think twice about spewing hatred. Or not…
Learn more about the extension at the #ChooseKind website.
Other Ways to Block Meanness from Your Social Media Feeds
If you follow someone on Twitter or are friends with someone on Facebook who constantly posts mean messages, you can unfollow them or unfriend them.
Also check out:
- New Twitter Updates Let You Block Words and People
- How to Fix Your Frustrating Facebook Feed (Without Unfriending Anyone)
Your Thoughts
Do you like the idea of choosing kindness with the #ChooseKind extension? Would you peek to see what messages you were blocking? Do you wish #ChooseKind were available in real life as well as on the Internet?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Hate speech, fake news, propaganda are some of the biggest enemies in 21st century. if you look there are many fake news sites and they are spreading lies all over. This doesnt solve that issue but hate speech can also be really hurtful and can cause bigger problems.
Have to say, Faith in humanity restored
Hi Ashish, Yes, this does help restore our faith in humanity, doesn’t it? You’re right, with all the hate being spewed on the Internet, it’s hard to remember that there is kindness out there.
By replacing mean messages with kind ones, we can lift ourselves up and maybe then lift up others.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Ashish.
Hello Carolyn,
Good to know about the new chrome extension choosekind over here on your platform.
The purpose for launching this new extension looks pretty impressive, as the would be blocking the hateful post on the
social media and replace it with something very kind messages so that it won’t annoy someone else. We all know that
social media platform now days are becoming over crowded with some one who are giving up some messy messages around
for the people.
There are many fake and Spam sites which are never behind in spreading the fake news. So it would be great to know that
there is going to be an extension which would help in preventing from these.
Thanks for the share.
Shantanu.
Hi Shantanu, Great idea to have a similar extension that blocks fake news. You could unblock any post you want to see, as with #ChooseKind, but you wouldn’t have to see them if you don’t want to.
Brilliant!
We see daily some irritating and annoying posts on social networks. This is really very good extension. Thanks for sharing about the extension.
Hi Anand, Yes, there is meanness on the Internet, but now we don’t have to see it if we don’t want to. I am surprised at how many posts I see blocked by #ChooseKind. Why not see an uplifting message instead of a mean one?
I hope you enjoy using #ChooseKind, Anand.