There are the basics that most people know, like what a tweet is or what it means to retweet or quote a tweet. Then, there are more subtle slang words, like subtweet. After today, you’ll be well-versed in what it means to subtweet someone and why it might happen.
What Does “Subtweet” Mean?
When you subtweet someone on Twitter, you’re tweeting about them without actually mentioning their name or their Twitter handle. A subtweet on Twitter is considered a passive-aggressive action, since it’s typically mocking or criticizing the person that is the (unsaid) subject of the tweet.
Subtweeting someone on Twitter has often been compared to talking about someone behind their back. Though, in this metaphor, the person you’re talking about could be lurking around a corner, able to hear (or read) everything you’re saying.
Why Would Someone Subtweet Another Person?
It seems like there’s nothing good about a subtweet, right? A subtweet is typically used as a way to vent your frustrations to your friends and followers without naming names. And if the person you’re talking about happens to see the tweet, so be it—maybe it’ll make them apologize or change their ways.
It can also be seen as people talking around a subject without directly confronting an issue or the people involved.
While occasionally venting is okay, frequent mean subtweets are usually frowned upon and seen as bad Twitter etiquette.
Could a subtweet be positive? If the pure definition of a subtweet is talking about someone in a tweet without mentioning their name or Twitter handle, it could technically be positive. You could tweet admiration or a compliment that you’re too shy to share directly.
Most people associate the social media slang term with being mean or throwing shade, but you can also technically find kind subtweets.
Use Twitter Positively
There are so many ways we can use Twitter, but it’s up to us to ultimately use the social media platform for good. Whether you’re using Twitter to promote your business venture, find a new job, stay in touch with friends and family, follow your favorite celebrity, or stay up to date on politics and news, think hard before you tweet something.
You can delete tweets, but you can’t edit them. And if people have notifications turned on for you, it’s easy to screenshot a tweet before you even have a chance to delete it. So be careful and mindful of what you put on Twitter.
