retweeting

Retweeting is the act of sharing another user’s post on a social media platform with one’s own followers, effectively distributing the content to a wider audience. On Twitter, a retweet republishes the original post to the user’s timeline. Users can also add their own commentary by creating a quote tweet, which embeds the original post and displays the reader’s remarks alongside it.

Origin and mechanism

Originally, many users disseminated content by manually prefixing posts with "RT" to indicate a reprint. Twitter later introduced an official Retweet feature, formalizing the action. A separate "Quote Tweet" feature, introduced later, lets users attach commentary while sharing.

Impact on information flow

Retweets can amplify reach, increase engagement, and influence what topics appear in timelines and trends. The practice contributes to virality and can accelerate the spread of information, advertising, or memes. It also creates network effects that can reinforce echo chambers and facilitate the spread of misinformation if sources are not verified. Algorithms on many platforms factor retweet activity into feed rankings, which can widen or narrow visibility for certain posts.

Ethics and best practices

Users should consider accuracy before retweeting; verify sources; avoid disseminating private or sensitive information about a person; respect copyright and platform terms of service; refrain from retweeting content that could cause harm; be mindful of the context provided by a quote tweet; be transparent when adding commentary. In some cases, seek permission for reposting copyrighted material. Overall, retweeting is a central mechanism for information diffusion on microblogging platforms.