The Center for Media Engagement has developed a new WordPress plugin that allows users to customize the buttons on their websites, including adding a “Respect” button. With Engaging Buttons, you can design and configure alternatives to the “Like” button, which, we have found, may not always be appropriate.
Through our research, we found that the “Like” button often encourages people to think about political issues in terms of agreement or disagreement, rather than quality. Our study results demonstrated how powerful word choice is in comment sections. In testing alternatives to “Like,” we found that a “Respect” button increased user engagement and provided valuable democratic and business benefits.
Click here to download the Engaging Buttons plugin.