Twitter Storms

The Potsdam Institute of Climate Research analysed 4bn US geo-located tweets. Somewhat predictably, it was found the the numbers of 'hateful' tweets increased at extreme high and low ambient temperatures (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/sep/07/hateful-tweets-multiply-in-extreme-temperatures-us-analysis-finds). 'Hateful' tweets were posts that were overtly racist, misogynist and/or homophobic. The study found a 22% increase in their number, when temperatures rose above 42 degrees Centigrade. There was also a circa 12% increase, when temperatures fell below -3 degrees Centigrade. The data was interpreted as showing that extreme temperatures produced more 'aggressive online behaviour'. The term 'aggressive' is, however, somewhat loaded. The hostile tweets may, perhaps, be more an expression of increased 'irritability'? It's also the case, however, that we don't know if the tweeters were actually experiencing the extreme temperatures, when they hit the keyboard. Air conditioning and heating could be insulating them from the weather. Perhaps the extreme temperatures force more grumpy people indoors, where they increase their output of highly questionable tweets?