New Delhi: The latest trend has been visible on ‘X’ formerly known as Twitter since last Saturday. This has left many users scratching their heads while it has made others jump on Bandwagon. This trend involves users sharing a simple image which is a stark white background painted with the bold text “Click Here” and a diagonally downward arrow pointing towards the bottom left corner.
This simple image has caught the attention of many political parties in India with the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, all participating in the trend through their official X pages. But what exactly is the point of this trend? The answer to this question lies in the “ALT” text or alternative text that the black arrow points towards.
ALT text is a feature on X which allows users to add descriptions to the images they share. This description is particularly helpful for visually impaired users who rely on screen readers and Braille displays to navigate the platform. Screen readers convert the ALT text into speech, allowing visually impaired users to understand the content of the image.
The “Click Here” trend draws attention to the value of ALT text and increases understanding of its capabilities. However, other users have voiced confusion, drawing attention to the trend’s potential for misunderstanding. One such user is Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. In a 2016 blog post announcing the feature X emphasised its commitment to accessibility saying Photos have been at the centre of some of the biggest moments on Twitter. They said that as a core part of the Twitter experience, it is important that the images shared on the platform are accessible to everyone even those who are visually impaired.
The blog also explained that with this update they are empowering everyone to ensure content shared on Twitter is accessible to the widest possible audience. With ALT text descriptions, users can give a thorough explanation of the image’s content in up to 420 characters.
While the ‘Click Here’ trend might be a playful way to draw attention to ALT text for anything other than describing the image itself is a misuse of the feature. ALT text should adhere to web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) to ensure it effectively assists virtually impaired users.
How to use the ALT text feature? The 2016 blog post by X explains that users can enable the feature through the composed image description options within the App’s accessibility settings. Once it gets enabled the users will see an add description button next to each thumbnail when composing a Tweet. This allows users to provide a clear description of the image content, enhancing the overall accessibility of their posts.
The ‘Click Here’ trend despite its playful exterior serves as a valuable reminder of the importance of inclusivity on social media platforms. By utilising features like ALT text, more accessible online space can be created for everyone.
